Finish the Fight
by ChaosxPaladin
Summary: Sasha fulfilled her task. All that remained was to live out her life. She had thought she could escape from her past life in Halkeginia, building something upon the new land built by her and those who followed her, but the past has its ways of catching up. Now her son has been called, and she was brought with him back to her home.
1. Memoir

Finish the Fight

Alright, so some of you may be wondering where I have been in the last few months.

Allow me to get straight to the point. I'm notorious for not finishing my fanfics. However, a valued friend, fellow writer, and source of inspiration in my writing career has challenged me to go back to any story of mine, and finish it. These are his words.

"Even if this isn't something you can eventually get paid for, it is good practice for the time you do. I would like you to try to finish a story. Take any story of yours, even if it's this new, fresh, exciting one, and promise me that you will finish it. I want to make you experience what finishing a story is like, going through the great times and the sluggish times and the horrid times and the amazing times. It'll be an experience that will make you infinitely more capable as a writer and you'll probably thank me at the end of it all. If you accept, that mean's you can also come to me for help or advice at any time. I will do what I can to make sure you continue forward, and upward along your path."

So that's it. Let this be the memoir of my devotion to writing. I will finish Change my Destiny, not because I want reviews, not because I want to create something better than myself and the world I live in. I will finish this story for the experience.

I hope you enjoy the story that I have created; Change my Destiny, as it was intended to be.

~ChaosxPaladin


	2. Alpha: A Fresh Start

Finish the Fight 00: A Fresh Start

 **AN:** A one shot conceptualization of what would eventually become this fanfic. Enjoy!

Louise was _furious_.

She had been outside, sitting at a dining table by herself, simply minding her own business as usual, tea in hand, when she caught wind of her stupid, undignified, disrespectful, goddamned insane familiar challenging a mage to a duel. It wasn't just any mage either.

It was Tabitha.

"I'm going to kill that no good, rotten, sleazy commoner if it's the last thing I do," Louise growled out, making her way to the Vestry Court. But despite all her anger, Louise couldn't help but feel the need to hurry, hoping to stop him before he, or even the mother that had come with him, killed them all.

As she neared, the crowd of people had surrounded the duo, who stood not further than two meters apart. Tabitha, uncharacteristically, had no book in her hand, but instead was staring down the young man standing before her. He stood some inches taller than her, his arms crossed, a cocky grin etched deep into his features as he looked at the young prodigy. The entire crowd whispered of her familiar's impending and obvious defeat, yet not wanting to turn away from the very rare spectacle.

A commoner challenging a triangle class mage... what a story to tell! That commoner is going to get destroyed!

Only Louise knew just how wrong they truly were.

"Avalon! That's enough!" Louise barged through the crowd, catching the attention of the onlookers, but not her familiar and his opponent. They kept their eyes locked.

"Ah, Louise, you're just in time. I'm glad you could make it,"

"What are you talking about, you stupid dog?" Pulling him roughly away from Tabitha, she lowered her voice while staring him sternly in the eye. " Of course I'm not glad that you basically just signed Tabitha's death warrant! What in the world are you thinking, challenging her to a duel?!"

Avalon simply chuckled.

"You know, it's that kind of faith in me that you have that made me want to do this in the first place. That, and little Tabby here is supposedly the strongest in your grade. I wanted to see for myself," he said, motioning for Louise to step back. She refused, keeping firm at his side, but Avalon didn't falter.

"Avalon!"

"Relax, would you? I'm not going to kill her, I'm just going to see how strong she is. No harm will be done, not to her, and certainly not to you or your classmates. I promise."

They stared each other down for a few more moments, before Louise let out a frustrated sigh, stepping back to join the crowd. Avalon grinned, turning back to his opponent.

"You hear all that? I know you were listening with that spell," he told her. Tabitha's eyes narrowed, and she slowly nodded her head. How did he know?

"Good. But don't think I'm gonna hold back..." Pausing dramatically, the world became silent as Avalon lifted up his left hand ever so slowly.

"Tabitha the Snowstorm!" Tabitha's eyes widened as she felt her battle hardened instincts kick to life, and she shifted her footing in a way that only a true warrior would notice. Yes. This is what he was looking for. Not these pathetic little mutts in their pen. That's all these so called nobles were to him. But she was different. She was like him. She was a fighter. And he wanted to test her, come hell or high water.

"Allow me to introduce myself in your ways," he went on. Then, before everyone's eyes, the temperature began to drop, their breath becoming visible, a whirlwind of ice and snow forming at Avalon's fingertips. The entire crowd gasped and cried out in shock as the ice solidified, extending into an elongated shape. Avalon grasped it firmly, and the ice shattered, leaving a Glaive in his hand. It was beautifully crafted, with a serpentine golden dragon etched into the two meter long, sapphire blue pole. Affixed to the head of the pole was an elaborate, silver socket-shaft, a straight, fifteen inch, single edged blade inserted firmly inside. What kind of metal was that? Tabitha couldn't be certain.

While the others awed, Louise groaned. That liar! He said he would hold back!

"My name is Avalon the snowfall. Tabitha the snowstorm, can your winter's fury match my winter's riposte?"

Leaving no time for a reply, Avalon firmly grasped the butt of his weapon with his right hand, dashing at Tabitha with blinding speed. However, the young wind mage didn't falter, and dodged the blade as it was swung in a wide, upward arc. She took the time to admire the beautiful blade; it was a design that was unlike any she had ever seen. It definitely wasn't Halkeginian, just like Avalon, she suspected.

As she regained her footing, and the crowd began to cheer, Tabitha raised her staff and retaliated, firing shards of ice at her attacker. The grin on his lips became animalistic, and with deadly accuracy, Avalon retreated, cutting the shards out of the air, a menacing _shing_ with every slash. He flourished his weapon theatrically, twirling it several times before returning it to a resting position behind him.

"Come now, Snowstorm, that can't be all you have! Show me your true strength! Scream, _Yukikaze_!" With a powerful thrust, Avalon pushed his weapon forward, shifting his one handed grip to the middle of his Glaive. A horizontal tornado of ice raced towards Tabitha, leaving a cold snowy path in its wake. More shouts were heard and Tabitha immediately dodged, allowing the attack to strike the wall. Instead of freezing the wall like she thought it would, the ice shards hit the wall and scattered its deadly shards in every direction. The crowd scampered away on sight, the shards coming dangerously close, but no one was hurt. Tabitha erected a wind barrier to deflect the ice.

Her eye's narrowed. He was serious.

As Louise, who had retreated as well, watched the fight go on, she couldn't help but feel a little giddy. She knew her familiar was strong, but _this_? Even though she had never been on a battlefield, her experiences with her family had given her the foresight to see that Avalon was a dangerous and skilled warrior. The look in his eye. The finesse of his swing. She had summoned such a powerful familiar! She wasn't a failure!

...She summoned a powerful familiar, that could have killed her at any time. And she ignorantly abused him, verbally and attempting physically, whenever his mother wasn't around. He had played it off casually, seeing her antics as something to be admired, her determination amusing, but she realized at that very moment, if she had truly threatened him, truly hurt him during their three days together, he would have killed her, and laughed while doing it.

She was so glad his mother wasn't here to see this...

...Oh no.

"Avalon! What in the world is going on here?!"

Stopping dead in his tracks, Avalon's gaze darted towards the source of the mature, powerful, and most importantly, angry, female voice. There stood a tall, fair skinned female, long blonde hair falling down to the middle of her back like liquid gold. Her eyes were a piercing green, and her outfit a modest, yellow, one piece dress that reached down to her ankles. Her hands rested firmly on her hips, her fingers tapping.

But what made the entire crowd silence was her long ears. Whispers began circulating, and Louise groaned again.

"M-Mom!" The heads of all the other students snapped towards Avalon as gasps and cries escaped from their mouths. Some even fainted.

Ignoring them completely, Avalon's mother walked up to him, each step closer making Avalon shrink back in fear.

"You and I will have words, young man." To Louise's surprise, Avalon's mother firmly grasped him by the ear, tugging him toward's Tabitha. Avalon let out cries of pain as she did so, trying to pull away from the death grip his mother had on him.

"How dare you?! How dare you disobey me and start a fight! Did I not strictly tell you to avoid that roguish attitude?! Challenging the poor girl like you did, what were you thinking?!"

"Gah! Go to hell you hag!"

Normally, if it were anyone else, Louise would have expected to see them dead. _Anyone_ with the guts to challenge an elf like he did would expect such. Instead, Louise had the immense pleasure of seeing Avalon's cheek being pulled this time, instead of his ear.

But a thought occured to her; was that what she looked like when her elder sister Eleanor pulled her cheeks like that? Dear Brimir, it looks awful!

"I'm sorry for the trouble that my son has caused you. I will punish him thoroughly for his mistreatment. Feel free to observe his spanking. Avalon blushed deeply in embarassment.

"Oh, come on!"


	3. New Beginnings

Finish the Fight

Have you ever had those days where you've done something you regretted so badly? Well, that's what I'm feeling! I honestly don't even remember how or why I lost my drive for this story, but now that I've had a lot of time to think about it, I want to restart this. I have the entire plan for the story anyway, I just got severely confused with certain elements in the middle. There were so many things I wanted to add, so many things to fix but it just ended up being too much. So now I've decided to go back to the raw base plan, but with several rearrangements to the story elements that will add more to the world of my version of ZnT. I don't really know what else to say but I'm sorry to all those that I disappointed when I dropped this, and to those who are new I really hope the world that I create will reap your entertainment. Onward with the story!

I do not own Zero no Tsukaima or any of the References I use. So please don't shut this fanfic down… =3

JUNE 30 2016: Edited by aquaderivative.

9PM, October 30, 2001

Toronto Canada, Planet Earth

It was night time. The cold, damp air wrapped around his skin as the eleven year old walked down the narrow alleyway. Casting a small fire spell, the boy attempted to warm himself with the ball of fire that emerged in the palm his hand.

"Man, mom's going to scold me again…" the boy mumbled to himself, dispelling his fire as he climbed over the metal fence in his way. The full moon was shining through the thin clouds, brightening the damp sidewalk. Not a sound filled the air apart from the boy's footsteps.

Looking at the blanket of stars above, the boy lost himself in his thoughts when the sound of footsteps cut through the air like a sword. He stopped, and slowly searched around, looking for any signs of life.

Nothing.

Thinking of all the possibilities, the boy started to jog lightly.

He heard the footsteps behind him again. Not daring to turn around, he quickened his pace into a steady run towards his house. It was all in vain, as the person was catching up quickly.

Unable to run any longer, the boy stopped to catch his breath. He then spun around, ready to face whoever was following him. Whoever it was had slowed down as well, and was breathless. Was it a criminal? A thief? The boy stared hard at the person, taking a fighting stance and preparing the magic within him. He wasn't confident with his spell-casting yet, so he wasn't sure if it would help, but if anything it could cause a distraction. He didn't recognize the figure; they were too far. The person moved closer, and the boy stepped back.

"Avalon? What's wrong? It's me!" called out an all too familiar female voice.

"Huh? Amy?" Avalon exclaimed, relieved. He dropped his arms as she approached.

"Yeah, it's me. I was calling you, but apparently you didn't hear me," she replied, throwing back her long, black hair. The familiar green eyes Avalon knew and loved stared back at him as she smiled. She had an angel's smile.

"Umm, right. Anyway, what are you doing following me? It's already nine. My parents will get mad if I stay out too late," Avalon explained.

She nodded. "Yeah, I know, me too. It's just that it's really important." She blushed after saying this.

 _Why, though? I wonder what it is…_

"So what is it then?" asked Avalon abruptly. Amy was silent for a moment.

"Come with me." Her voice was very serious.

The two childhood friends walked along the sidewalk they just passed, and arrived at an abandoned construction site.

 _A construction site? Was this going to be our new meeting spot or something?_

Amy's voice broke through Avalon's thoughts.

"Umm, we're here," she mumbled. Amy abruptly came to a stop, and turned towards Avalon. Her face scrunched up, almost as if something was about to hit her. Her cheeks were tinted red, and she avoided eye contact with Avalon, much to his confusion.

"Uhh, Amy? What is it you wanted to tell me?" he asked again. _Really, it makes me wonder just what she's thinking sometimes…_

"Well… you see… it's just that…" she stuttered. Her voice was unsteady, and she started shaking. She took a deep breath, before starting over.

"Do you remember the first time we met?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, of course. It was at the park, wasn't it? I was sitting on the swing by myself, while you were running around, kicking sand everywhere," Avalon laughed, remembering.

"Haha yeah. Then I fell on my face and started crying. That's when you came up to me," she giggled.

"I still remember the look on your face. Priceless." Avalon laughed again, and Amy pouted before pushing the boy lightly.

"Hey, I told you to forget that!"

"Too bad, it's stuck to my mind like glue!"

A pause, then the two both laughed, unable to control themeselves any longer. As it died down, silence filled the air again.

"… I'm really glad I met you that day," said Amy, smiling.

"Me too. We've been best friends since, haven't we?"

"Uh huh. The best of best friends…" she mumbled. Her smile left, and her eyes closed as she turned around, but not before Avalon saw a small tear fall down her face. Avalon looked at her with worry.

"Amy? What's wrong?"

"Well…" she started, wiping her eyes before turning back around. She was silent for a long time, Avalon wondering the entire time about what it was she wanted to say.

"… Ever since then, I've always had his weird feeling. Whenever I was around you, I always felt like I was satisfied with life. Whenever you weren't around, I felt like it was the end of the world… "

"I still don't see what you're getting at," Avalon replied, clueless at what she was saying.

"You always were an idiot," Amy sighed, then laughed.

"Hey, I'm no idiot, I just don't see what you're saying."

"And that's exactly why you're an idiot. You don't see what I'm saying.

 _She's got me there._

"Well, anyway that's not the point. Its just the truth is…"

"The truth is…" Avalon urged her on.

"I love you, Avalon!" she yelled out, her high voice piercing his ears, but he was too shocked to feel the pain.

 _Amy… loves me?_

"…What?" was all that he could say. He was too confused, and didn't know what to do. Didn't know what to say. Amy then looked a bit confused, before she smiled. She walked up to the stunned boy, and wrapped her slender arms around his shoulders. The warm touch of her skin against his made him shiver a bit.

"I love you, Avalon… I've always loved you, and I always will," she whispered in his ear.

Then suddenly, without thinking, Avalon's hands encircled her waist, and he felt his heart doing backflips.

"I… I love you too, Amy." Something in his head made his mind flutter with thoughts about her. Unknown feelings that he didn't understand suddenly became clear as he embraced her.

He was in love.

Avalon pulled away for a while, looking deeply into the eyes that he had fallen for… Amy's bright green eyes, the same eyes he had treasured for 3 years. She smiled, placing a warm hand on his cheek. He couldn't help but smile back. The two lost themselves inside each other's eyes, not wanting to ruin such a beautiful moment.

Slowly, their faces drew closer. They were so close that Avalon could feel her breath on his face. This was it. Their lips were close, so close, before a loud voice filled Avalon's ears.

"LOOK OUT!"

A light blinded his vision. Before he knew it, a sudden force pushed him aside. He slid across the ground, and his instincts told him to roll immediately. He did as he was trained to do, and flipped back to his feet, ignoring the pain in his shoulder.

"AMY!"

Time fell to a crawl. Avalon's eyes widened with shock as a car came through, attempting to skid to a stop. The screeching of the tires dragged on as Amy's eye's met his. Amy reached out for Avalon, and he to her. There was a bright, green flash, and-

"Mister Faalos!"

With a loud cry Avalon's head snapped up, the crook of his neck straining from the sudden movement. His entire desk rocked as his body jerked backwards, before settling upright in his seat once more. Taking a quick look at his surroundings, Avalon watched his fellow classmates snicker as his gaze swept across the room, before settling on the teacher towering above him.

"M-Miss Yang... I'm really sorry," he apologized, bowing his head slightly. Avalon's teacher gave a small huff, crossing her arms as she began walking towards the center of the square classroom.

"While I understand that you work yourself to the bone, Mister Faalos, it does not mean that you are allowed to sleep in this classroom. I will not tolerate any more of this. You are already in your fourth year of high school, so please do remain awake during class! You aren't a child anymore!"

"Y-yes, Miss Yang," Avalon apologized again. Rubbing his sore eyes, he began checking his seatmate's notes. "Yo, what'd I miss?"

Time went on, and eventually class came to an end. The shrill bell of the school had never sounded so good. As Avalon rose from his seat, someone tapped him on the back, and he turned.

"Oh, hey Vin, what's up?" Vincent Duong, Avalon's best friend since pre-school, eyed him incredulously as he packed up.

"Dude, are you alright? That's the tenth time you fell asleep in class this week. What have you been doing at night?" His voice was a mix of curiosity and concern. Avalon shrugged.

"I've been doing some studying. Multiverse theories. Summoning Spells. I've also been researching Japan's latest news on spirit magic." Shouldering his bag with a yawn, the pair made their way out of the classroom, down the hall and towards their lockers.

"Multiverse theories again? Is that what this is about? Avo, that accident happened seven years ago, I really think you should let it go. We have exams and applications for university to fill out. At least do this when you have the resources at Cambridge or something," Vin sighed. Avalon nodded, letting his thoughts wander on.

Seven years... Seven long years since Amy disappeared. Seven long years of researching what the hell the green portal that practically devoured Amy was and where it led. Seven years of training and researching all forms of the arcane arts. He was sure the green portal did lead somewhere, if not another world, but Avalon had no way of proving it yet. Everything he did in high school was in preparation for that one goal.

"Well, anyway, I'm gonna skip band practice today. Tell Mister Harrison for me, will ya?" Nodding grimly, Vin didn't say anything as Avalon left the school premises, heading towards his house. He took out his iPhone, checking the internet for the latest updates on the latest magic and science news. Nothing in particular stood out; a few potential breakthroughs here, newly discovered patterns in elements there, with the occasional Indie invention.

"Huh, now that's interesting… a stimulant that can help a person see another's aura? Sherry would love that. And speak of the devil," said Avalon as he got a text. He opened it up, seeing a picture of a young, dark haired elf girl with a plate of cake in her hands.

 **Sherry:** **Vin told me what happened. NERD! Did u 4get about 2day's party? Come back you idiot!**

Avalon chuckled to himself before replying.

 **Avalon: Sry, mom want's me home ASAP. She wanted to discuss my university applications, something about us getting a deal on charges. That woman knows way too many people.**

 **Sherry: Aww, the lovable nerd hard at work. Well, if u really can't then I guess it can't be helped. Say hi to Miss Sasha for me!**

A ping followed shortly thereafter, and Avalon received another picture. This one had Vin and Sherry shoulder to shoulder, posing for the camera. Avalon couldn't help but chuckle. Those two really need to get together one of these days. Watching them play around each other was like watching a soap opera with anime characters. So basically, pretty much any romance anime ever.

After 15 minutes of walking, he turned onto his street, sighing as he brushed his short, ebony hair to the left.

Pondering on which subject to study first, Avalon opened up his garage and slipped in, only to jerk to a stop. He blinked once, then twice, before rubbing his eyes. Was he seeing things? Was he dreaming still? The disbelief slowly waned as realization hit his heart like a hammer. Floating a few feet in front of him was what looked like a green portal. It was the exact same one that he saw take Amy all those years ago. Avalon's heart began to race, the palms of his hands sweating as he slowly approached the mysterious floating object. Deciding to snap some photos, he switched his phone to video mode, figuring that leaving evidence of what he had found might be a good idea.

"My name is Avalon Faalos. The date is June 16, 2007. I don't know if you'll believe what you're about to see here today, but floating before me is a portal of some kind. I don't know where it leads or why it's here, but as an aspiring scientist, I want to find out. I will leave this recording as evidence that there is indeed someone, or something, out there, still using summoning spells, despite their ban in 2003."

Placing his phone down several feet away, Avalon checked if it gave a good viewing of what was to come, before approaching the portal himself. Observing it for a bit, he decided to further examine the subspace portal, and reached out.

As soon as his skin brushed the portal, it reached out and wrapped itself around Avalon's arm.

"What the hell?!" Avalon cried out. _Is the portal absorbing me? This is insane! Aren't I supposed to just walk in? I mean, that's the way it worked in all the video games…_ These thoughts rushed through Avalon's mind, but it didn't matter. This thing was going to eat him alive.

"God… damn it… Help! Somebody help! Mom!" Avalon cried out as he desperately struggled against the portal. He pulled his arm, but no avail. He tried kicking it, but it absorbed his leg as well. _Great. Just Great. What is up with this thing?!_

The back garage door burst open, and Avalon's vision caught a glimpse of gold, followed by a mature female voice.

"Avalon! Are you..! No!"

Pulling harder, Avalon thanked God for allowing someone to hear his voice. "Mom! Help me!" Avalon cried out, looking towards the elf behind him. Rushing forward, Avalon's mother attempted to pull her son out of the portal, only to be absorbed as well. The two looked at each other and muttered the exact same thing.

"Shit."

And then they couldn't struggle anymore as the portal absorbed them both, their entire beings thrown into a black pit.

Avalon screamed – too loud, really. His throat was going to hurt after this; well, if he was still alive afterward. Avalon reached out, feeling the arm of his mother still firmly attached to his shoulder as he felt himself falling, the voice of his mother nearly drowned out by the wind rushing against his ears. He couldn't see where he was falling – well, he was falling _downwards_ obviously, but he had no idea what was at the bottom or how far it was. Adrenaline rushed through his veins as he desperately tried to calm down and think, but Avalon's thoughts were interrupted as he heard a voice emerge from the blackness.

"Please answer my guidance!" a high pitched, female voice called out, and a small light appeared, one that slowly expanded. Avalon saw his mother again in the light, the terror clear on her face as their eyes met, and they fell through to the other side, ending up in the dark once again.

Avalon felt his body stir, and he tried to think of what just happened.

 _A dream? Or did it seriously happen?_

"T-two familiars?!" he heard a far-away female voice say.

"No matter how you look at it, they're just commoners." This time it was another voice. This one was male, with an accent mixed between British and Australian.

"Commoners, commoner no doubt," the female voice from earlier replied.

Avalon opened his eyes, revealing a short pink eyed and haired girl, wearing what looked like a black witch robe with a star broach just below her collar. Under the robe was a white, long sleeved buttoned shirt, with a matching black skirt and dress shoes. _She looks like someone directly out of an Anime convention, honestly_. _Who went around dressed like that?_ He sat up, grunting in the process. There was a large group of people wearing the same uniform some ways away from the girl. Avalon looked behind himself, seeing a huge stone tower that stretched high into the sky. They were in what he could only describe to be a yard, of some sort, the soft grass beneath him shifting with the breeze. A stone wall further away from the group of teenagers stood tall and firm in a semicircle, another, smaller tower built at the far right of it.

"Agh… what the hell is going on?" Avalon mumbled. As he swept his gaze around once more, Avalon immediately moved towards his mother, who was passed out beside him.

"Mom! Are you alright?!" Avalon cried out, shaking her body. She snapped upward a moment later, her eyes scanning her surroundings. "It can't be," she gasped in disbelief. Avalon couldn't help but become confused. _What is going on?_

"…Ah."

Avalon turned to the source of the sound; it was the pink hared girl from earlier. Her eyes were wide with shock as she stared at his mother. She was biting back a growl, shrinking back slightly as she grabbed Avalon's arm, pulling him close.

"Avalon, no matter what happens, stay close to me. I'll explain everything later."

"Later? You mean you actually know what happened—" Avalon started, but frantic shouts interrupted him. Some of the people surrounding them had fainted, some were frozen in place, and others turned and ran, but everyone fell into panic.

"ELF! IT'S AN ELF!"

Avalon let out a startled cry as his mother hauled him up to his feet, standing protectively in front of him. Her eyes became predatory, scaring Avalon. He had never seen her like this, not even in training. As they all ran, Avalon noticed that his backpack had come with him, his math and science textbooks scattered across the grass. He quickly scavenged them up.

Louise stared in shock. It was incredibly hard to miss, the long ears. Trampling over each other, Louise saw only raw, primal fear on their faces as they tried to flee. Yet the elf and her son did not move.

She was confused why. Here was an elf, the bane of mankind, the slayers of magi. And yet here was this boy, probably as old as the students here, claiming this elf to be his mother? But more importantly, why did she not run?

It was strange really. She expected herself to be afraid, to follow in the footsteps of her classmates, but she felt no fear. Even as she turned her gaze towards Colbert, who stood in front of her protectively, she was not afraid of this elf and her, dare she say it, son, as blasphemous as it sounded.

"Please, Miss Valliere! You must stay calm and rescue that boy! I will hold the elf off as long as I can," shouted Colbert, brandishing his staff. He took a defensive stance, his left foot forward, eyeing the elf with great caution. Yet, Louise didn't see the point. She had realized as soon as the cloud cleared and their eyes met that the elf paid no attention to her surroundings. Instead, the elf's piercing blue eyes were locked on herself.

The elf took a cautious step forward, and Colbert tensed, ready to attack. However, Louise responded in kind to the pair, walking towards them with no fear. Colbert called out to her, but she ignored him. Standing in front of them, she idly noted how tall they were, the mother two heads taller than Louise herself, and the son a few inches below his mother.

"Who are you?" A pink haired girl asked. The boy opened his mouth to reply, but his mother raised her hand, cutting him off. Behind her, Louise heard Professor Colbert shift closer on reaction, but he did not attack as the elf sighed.

"No wonder you were called, Avalon," she said to the boy before turning back to Louise. "You bear his power, don't you?" the elf woman asked.

Louise blinked in surprise. _Avalon? What an old name... and what is this power she's talking about?_

Louise saw a small exchange between the elf and Avalon, resulting in the woman shaking her head. "Never mind. My name is Sasha, and this is my son, Avalon. You are the one who cast the summoning?"

Louise paled. Oh, she was surely going to die once the rest of their family found out what transpired. Avalon's eyes narrowed suddenly with a sudden aggression.

"She's here, then. that really was a portal," he said to Sasha.

 _Wait, what are they talking about?_

Sasha sighed. "While that may be, Avalon, it is different here. Time is different here. There are many things about this place that are different from home," she gently said, the anger on Avalon's face dying slightly. He shook his head in defiance. "I have to find her."

"And we will find her. But for now, we have to adjust to our surroundings. Don't forget, you must be able to accept things in life and move with the flow—" Sasha started, but Avalon cut her off.

"Like a leaf in the wind. Yeah, I remember." Avalon sighed, though Sasha didn't look offended. She had smiled, instead. Turning to Louise again, she lowered her head slightly in a formal bow, making Louise blink in surprise.

"I apologize for our rather rough introduction. This is a new thing to him, and though our customs may be different, I hope that we can come to an understanding."

Louise's mind stopped in its tracks. This day was just getting weirder and weirder! First her summon goes wrong, then it turns out she called forth two familiars, who then turned out to be an elf who had physical relations with a human, and now she was apologizing?!

"I give up. Fine, you're forgiven."

-Finish the Fight-

It was completely ridiculous.

She had always been different from other Magi. Spent in a lifetime of failure, Louise always wondered why she was born, why God allowed her to go through such hardship. But she had endured it all, her pride as a noble and as the daughter of Karin the heavy wind keeping her strong. There was not one person in her class who would answer faster than her. Despite her lack of success in her casting, her knowledge of the arcane arts was second only to Tabitha. She would familiarize herself with every theory, every historical change, and every new discovery. It was because of this that she became close with Professor Colbert, who acted very much like a father, much more than her real father ever did. Despite her failures, he had encouraged her, helped her study when Tabitha was busy, and comforted her when the weight of her problems were too great.

It wasn't until she summoned her familiars that she realized just how different she truly was from the others.

Before she could speak up, she and the group had found themselves at the door to Osmond's office, Professor Colbert leading them inside.

"Please, come in." he said, motioning them inward. The four of them obliged. Because of her infamous status as a failure, Louise was already very familiar with the headmaster's office. Their footsteps clicked as they walked across the clean, mahogany floor. The room was spacious, with various books and scrolls stored inside neatly organized book cases. There were large windows throughout the room, and the skylight overhead filled it with a cheery glow. Portraits of previous headmasters hung on the wall behind the headmaster's desk, staring impassively.

Louise's eyes fell upon the headmaster himself. He was old, his long hair gray and his beard so long it was tied beatly at the bottom. His secretary, Miss Longueville, stood beside him, a green haired, fair skinned woman.

Though he did is best to hide it, Louise had grown keen at perception, and did not miss Osmond's eyes widening as he laid his gaze on her familiars... More specifically, Sasha's ears

"Welcome Miss Louise, miss elf, mister…?" said Osmond, looking towards Avalon.

"My name is Avalon," he said, stepping forward with a small bow.

"And mine Sasha," she followed up, giving her own curtsey. Osmond let out a small hum, no doubt pleased with the formality.

"Mister Avalon and Miss Sasha then. Please, all of you, have a seat." Osmond gestured towards the chairs in front of his desk, and they all briskly sat down, Louise taking her own seat on Avalon's left and Sasha on his right. Miss Longville stopped writing, swiftly grabbing a pitcher and a cup from the table behind her.

"Would you like some water?" Miss Longville offered to Sasha and Avalon. Louise stared slightly at Miss Longville's boldness. Was she not afraid of her?

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to refuse," Sasha replied curtly. She eyed Miss Longueville for a few moments before turning away. Unaffected by Sasha's refusal, Miss Longville quietly put back the pitcher and cup on the table, and Osmond took advantage of the lull in conversation.

"Well then, let us begin. I'm sure that it is a surprise to all of us that you have been summoned here, Miss Sasha?" started Osmond.

Sasha nodded her head. "Indeed. While our kind are familiar with summons, we prefer to rely on the spirit for our power."

Colbert's eyes lit up with academic zeal at that, and a small smile broke out on Louise's face. He immediately pulled out a small book from his pocket, writing down his thoughts.

Osmond shook his head with a slight smile as well before continuing. "Is that so? That's quite interesting. But before we stray off topic, my name is Osmond, I am the headmaster of this school, Tristain's Magic Academy." Sasha nodded, and although Avalon made himself look like he knew what was happening, Louise could see his brow crease slightly with confusion.

"I'm sure you know this, but the summoning of an Elf is unheard of in history. This is truly a baffling situation, considering the situation of Miss Valliere..." said Osmond solemnly. Louise felt a tick of offence, but kept it in check. "We are unsure of what to do. Do you have any relatives back in your home land? Anyone who would search for you?" Osmond went on. Miss Longville and Colbert paled at the idea, while Louise merely sunk her head.

Sasha paused, looking towards Avalon, who kept his gaze on the floor.

"I'm afraid so," she said after a moment's hesitation. "But worry not, they think that I am away on business. It is my son that I worry about." Louise saw Osmond and Miss Longville's eyes widen in surprise.

"Mister Avalon is your son? But that means…"

Sasha nodded. "Yes, my husband is a human. His father will surely look for him."

Osmond nodded. "That truly is an unsettling matter. Where are you two from, Mister Avalon?" Osmond asked. Avalon lifted his head in surprise, a small 'what?' escaping his lips. Looking over to his mother for guidance, Sasha gave him a subtle nod. "We are both from the Sahara."

 _"The Sahara...? So far east,"_ Louise thought, seeing the doubt in Osmond's eyes. She couldn't blame him. A human marrying an elf? The idea would have been ludicrous to them all if it weren't for the subtle interactions between the Sasha and the Avalon. It was clear he trusted her judgement. But a human in the Sahara desert would surely have caused danger for humanity… Just whom did she marry?

"Well then, it is good to know that we do not have to fear you, judging from your willingness to comply with us, but perhaps it would be best if you kept your presence hidden? I fear that even if you are familiar with humans, we are not. It's been six thousand years since the time of Brimir after all," said Osmond. Sasha's eyes glinted at the mention of Brimir, although Louise had no idea what it was for. Did... Did she actually know the founder? No, that couldn't be.

"I see… six thousand years huh…? Time flies," she said whimsically with a chuckle. "If it be alright with you, I would like a day to meditate on the matter at hand. You also have some questions for me, don't you Avalon?" Looking at him, Louise watched as he crossed his arms.

"Damn right I do."

Sasha nodded, as did Osmond.

"Very well then. We shall supply you with one of our empty dorm rooms for the time being. Miss Longville will take you there. Miss Valliere, would you like to accompany them?" Suddenly alert, Louise nodded her head.

"Then I hope that things shall go well with you."

-Finish the Fight-

 **AN: Alright, that's it for now. I hope you enjoyed reading my work as much as I enjoyed writing it. If there is anything you feel that could be altered to make it better, perhaps any mistakes that I didn't catch please feel free to tell me. It will only help me make this story better.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. Heir to the Demon Part 1

Finish the Fight Chapter 2: Heir to the demon Part 1

 **Hey guys, here's chapter two. Just for your information, I'll be doing my best to stick to the path that I have in mind with this story, so you can expect things to at least attempt to deviate away from the original cut and dry formula. I still have a lot of things I want to foreshadow at the moment, so I'm going to be using the next few chapters to develop and set up those. Hope you enjoy!**

-Finish the Fight-

Avalon and Sasha entered the relatively large room. There was a large queen-size mattress a few paces ahead, taking up one fifth of the room. Near the door was a table where the candle resided. A large closet sat at the back corner of the room and a drawer half the size of it stood beside it. Moonlight shone through the open square window on the opposite wall. They took a seat at the table.

Louise followed up behind her familiar… Familiars? She wasn't even sure anymore. Hoping to take her mind of it, she began lighting up a few candles on the table with some matches. She took a deep breath, calming herself.

"Alright. What the hell is going on, mom? Where in the world are we?" Avalon asked, although he flinched slightly at the look she gave him.

"Watch your language. As for your question, we're not on Earth anymore." Avalon's eyes widened at that, though Louise only became confused. Earth? What was Earth?

"Not on…! Then where are we if we aren't on Earth? Are we in another dimension or what?!"

"Something like that." Taking a seat herself, Sasha folded her hands together as she sank deep into thought, propping her elbows up on the table and resting her chin against her curled fingers. "This wasn't supposed to happen… Things should have been…"

"What do you mean what wasn't supposed to happen? Why?" Avalon went on, but Sasha didn't answer. Instead, she continued to remain deep in her thoughts. "Mom, don't ignore me. I have the right to know why the portal that took Amy appeared before me!" Avalon went on, raising his voice. Still, Sasha didn't relent, keeping a neutral expression, making Avalon sigh in exasperation. "So that's it then. You're not going to answer my questions, like always." Sitting in his chair and crossing his arms, Avalon angrily stared at the floor.

"…It's not that simple, Avalon."

"It never is, is it?"

"You don't understand. This is a very dangerous situation, and we can't go about doing things irrationally. You being brought here to this land unsettles me greatly… and I only want the best for you. You know that," she said, sighing. "I'm sorry I can't answer your questions now, but one day I will. I will tell you everything when I'm sure of what is happening. Even I am confused, and I'm oft not."

Not bothering to reply, Avalon turned his gaze over to the young pink haired girl, who sat on the bed. "What about you? What can you tell me about this place? Do you have any maps?"

Not expecting the question, Louise looked up suddenly, her mind still trying to wrap itself around the situation. She felt a tinge of anger at Avalon's informal speaking, but one look at Sasha's ears made her reconsider.

"A-Ah, um, yes, I'm familiar with Halkeginian history!"

Taking a deep breath Louise brought herself into focus. She knew this! She studied the history of her country thoroughly, thanks to her mother and her… as much as she hated to say it, lack of magic. She began explaining the four continents, brief histories on their cultures, and the current treaties between them. Avalon and Sasha listened intently, although Avalon had noticed that his mother had a gleam in her eye at certain details. Louise then covered the major religion and noble powers, doing her best to recall the details drilled into her because of her mother's tutoring. Avalon took the information in stride, stowing it away for research later, but the idea of magic able humans being nobles and the rest commoners... It made him feel really unsure and sick. Why couldn't they all perform magic? All sentient beings should be able! The research had been done in his world!

"Alright, that's enough for now. This is all really weird, so I'm just gonna try and let everything sink in for the night." Sitting on the bed, Avalon let himself fall onto the soft cushions, savouring the feeling it gave him. _Wow, this is actually comfortable_.

"V-Very well then… but if I may ask, Mrs. Sasha, what should I do regarding the summoning? Are you alright with me… performing the ritual with… with your son?" She wanted to add her to the equation, but she had a very, very strong feeling that Sasha would say no. Perking up his head, Avalon awaited his mother's answer. She was quiet for several moments, making Louise feel very nervous.

"…What do you think, Avalon? Do you want to go through with the ritual?"

Avalon looked up from his place on the bed, his brow raised. "Are you high? Of course not!" Though Sasha unexpectedly didn't retort, Louise did.

"W-What? How could you not want to perform the summoning ritual? I'll admit that it is strange and off putting that I summoned you both, but normally no one would get this from a noble in their lifetime! It's been this school's tradition for over five thousand years!" she hissed spitefully, congratulating herself on keeping a straight face. The summoning ritual was the mark of a mage, started by the Founder Brimir himself. Every student from the second year and onward had one, as it was the exam first years needed to pass in order to progress in their studies.

No one has failed it before. And Louise sure as hell wasn't going to be the first.

Avalon's eyes narrowed as he sat up, focusing on his summoner. She was really starting to piss him off. "What kind of dated attitude is that? Five thousand years? All I'm hearing is that for five thousand years, you mages have yet to realize that the familiar system is nothing more than a form of slavery. Tradition? All that tells me is that none of you mages are capable of thinking and experimenting for yourselves beyond that of your predecessors!" Standing up, eyes flaring, Avalon stomped up to Louise, and she found the hard way that his eyes were the same as Sasha's. She began to tremble lightly.

"I _refuse_ to become the slave of a pampered, spoiled little brat like you. So do us all a favour, and crawl back into your mother's—"

"AVALON!" Louise and Avalon jumped at the power of Sasha's voice booming from within their bones as she stood up from her seat. Looking over at her, Avalon saw that his mother was angry. No, she was _furious_. _Oh crap._

"That was completely unnecessary! Did I not teach you to respect other people's cultures, no matter how different they are? Show some respect to this poor girl!"

Avalon wanted to retort, but deep down, he knew he overstepped his boundaries.

"And if you recall when summons were allowed by our laws, was it not a requirement for your studies? Did you not think that maybe this girl might _fail_ if you refused her contract? And what about you? How long did it take for you to summon Gungnir? One whole hour, if I recall, when all your friends took less than minutes? And yet here you have the gall to insult Louise's efforts? For shame! I taught you better than that, now apologize!" Sasha huffed, staring down at her son harshly.

Avalon was quiet, biting his lip as he slowly lowered himself to his knees, his head low.

"…I apologize for my outburst. It was wrong of me to insult you and your beliefs. As recompense, I will fulfill my end of the ritual, and complete the summoning ritual with you."

Satisfied, Sasha took back her spot on the table, watching silently as Louise pondered what to do next. She stuttered for a few moments, trying to find the words to say, before clearing her throat and starting again.

"I accept your apology. Now please, stand." Avalon did so. As he did, he decided to feel Louise's aura, so he could have an idea of what exactly he was getting into.

Wait a second… He couldn't feel her aura! How could she perform magic?!

Louise took out her wand from her skirt pocket, and closed her eyes.

"My Name Is Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière. To the pentagon that holds the five powers, bless this one and yield him as my Familiar…" she continued. A soft, green glow enveloped the room as the pentagon appeared on the floor, encircling the two. Avalon felt a spike of magic in the air, Louise's aura becoming an almost oppressing tension on his shoulders. Avalon let out a grunt as he felt Louise's element wash over him, nearly sending him to his knees with it's weight. Too focused, Louise tapped her wand on his head and took a deep breath as Avalon decided to let the ritual run its course. He didn't want to cause it to backfire on her, harming them both, so he stood as still as possible. Louise took a deep breath, placed her hands on Avalon's cheeks, urging him to come closer. He did so, an amused smirk on his lips, and as quickly as she could, Louise pecked him on the lips. The two held their breath, waiting for something to happen.

Luckily, something did.

A light shined on the back of his left hand, and Avalon felt the tension on his shoulders release. Runes began carving themselves into the back of his hand.

"What…? I can't read it, I don't recognize this inscription," said Louise. Avalon looked towards his mother, who had a serious look of contemplation on her face. She stepped towards the two, looking at the markings herself.

"You really are..."

-Finish the Fight-

As Louise and Avalon finished their ritual, both of them agreed that branding Avalon was enough, and that there was no need to brand Sasha. Furthermore, Sasha thought it best that Avalon escort Louise back to her room, and get to know her better. He had felt a little restless after the sudden summoning, but she had a point; plus, it would be a good way to get his mind off things.

Walking down the long stone corridor, guided by Louise, Avalon looked down at the markings on his left hand.

" _Gandalf…"_

He wondered what it meant, but thinking about it wouldn't get him answers. As he shook his head, Avalon went back to trying to sense Louise's aura, but just like before, he couldn't feel anything. Just who is this girl? Why was his mother so cryptic about it? He knew that she knew what was going on, but he couldn't figure it out. Too many details were missing.

Brimir... This world… this girl… How were they related?

Louise, on the other hand, was excited. She had done it! She had successfully performed the ritual! Hopefully, this would be the first step in many successes to come. Perhaps she could ask Sasha for advice about her magic… Oh, but she would be too nervous to ask. Maybe Avalon can help her? He technically is her familiar now, so he would have to obey him. Oh, she could see it now! Kirche grovelling under her foot like a dog, her classmates bowing before her, worshiping her as she laughed maniacally—

"Hey, what's your element?" said Avalon suddenly.

Louise lost her footing, holding onto the wall for support. Avalon blinked. _What the hell?_

"Uh… Are you okay?" Quickly straightening herself, Louise turned to Avalon, trying to keep calm and act normal. However, the awkward grin and the vein on her forehead told him otherwise. She began speeding ahead of him.

"P-P-P-Perfect! I'm just perfect! Everything is fine! I feel wonderful! I feel—"

"Yeah, yeah, alright. But you didn't answer my question—hey!"

Catching up and grabbing her by the arm, Louise began violently thrashing against Avalon's grip. _What the hell is wrong with this girl? Is she on her period?!_

"Unhand me you dog!"

"It was just a question! Besides, something's really strange about you!"

Louise's gaze whipped towards him, her eyes nearly glowing with fury.

"How dare you!" Unable to take his words any longer, the stress of the day finally blew, and Louise took out her wand, pointing it at Avalon. He was going to reach for her hand to stop her, but another sudden spike of magic _exploded_ from Louise's spirit, her aura nearly overwhelming him with its raw power. In a last ditch effort, he backed away, conjuring a barrier as a huge explosion rocked the castle. "FIREBALL!" He heard. _Her element was fire?! No way! This feels like…_

Huffing from the sudden exertion, Louise coughed the dust out of her lungs, feeling her mood fall considerably. "I messed up again…" She fell on her knees, holding back the tears. She screwed up in front of her familiar… What would he think of her now?

Avalon was very surprised. She nearly broke through his barrier with that!

"…What the hell was that? That was no fireball," he said, dispelling his barrier as the smoke cleared.

"….Yes it was."

"You've got to be joking. I can sense aura, you know. That was not the fire element. That was Ether!"

Louise froze, before rushing up to Avalon, much to his surprise. She grabbed him by the shirt. "Y-You know what my element is?!" Avalon stopped, scratching the back of his head.

"I do now. But it's strange. I can't sense your aura. I only know now because it suddenly spiked when you cast that spell, and during the ritual… This is so weird."

The two fell into silence, but Louise broke it before long.

"….Can you help me? Please?" She looked up at him earnestly. Avalon didn't reply right away, looking deep into her eyes. There was a hidden desperation underneath her strong willed self, and Avalon couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Did her classmates know about her strange aura?

"Only if you tell me what's going on with you. I want to know everything."

Louise sighed, letting go of Avalon's shirt. She nodded.

"Alright. But tomorrow, I promise. I need to rest. Come wake me in the morning and we can discuss it after my classes."

-Finish the Fight-

After dropping off Louise at her quarters, Avalon decided to take the scenic route back to his room, and did a little exploring, grasping a good idea of his surroundings. Finishing his route on the rooftops, he was about to head back, when he heard the sound of... wait, were those flapping wings?

Avalon's head shot up, and he sprinted off to the side, rolling away as a huge, dark shadow of a figure slammed into the tiles where he once stood. Dust collected in the air as Avalon took a crouched battle stance, his hand outstretched to his side.

"Pierce the heavens, Gungnir!" An elongated rod of blue lightning formed, booming loudly as Avalon gripped it firmly in his hands. The lightning solidified into a cobalt blue spear, an arrowhead shaped blade on one end, and a trident on the other. Avalon switftly slashed his spear upwards, sending forward a crescent shaped blade of lightning at the figure. A loud cry was heard, but Avalon's attack was cancelled out by an equally strong blizzard spell. Avalon's eye's narrowed.

"Who are you?" He snarled, noticing the human figure on top of the giant figure. It hid in the shadow of the building, trembling slightly as the human on the figure jumped down from it's mount.

"Wait. Friend," a soft voice called out, nearly unheard by Avalon. _What?_ The figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing one of the students. She had short, blue hair, and in her left hand was a tall Staff, resembling a Shepherd's crook. The large shadow behind her also slowly stepped out, revealing a large, blue dragon, with the expression of a sad puppy.

 _Okay, seriously. What the hell is going on?_

"Some friend. You attacked me out of nowhere. Were you trying to crush me?!" The dragon flinched, its head hung low as it looked apologetically at Avalon, warbling sad sounds from it's maw. The girl looked over at the dragon, which Avalon assumed to be her familiar, and smacked it on the head. The dragon then comedically held her wound, rushing to the wall and... was it _crying?!_

"Smell," the girl went on. Avalon stared.

"...Okay, I'm gonna need more than that." The girl was silent for another moment. She then looked over to her dragon.

"Smell," she said, then pointed to Avalon with her staff. "Dragon."

"Wait, I smell like a dragon to your familiar?" The girl nodded.

"Excited," she said again in her monotone voice, pointing to her dragon. Avalon sighed.

"Well... I guess it's alright then? That wasn't cool, but I forgive you. What's its name?" Avalon walked up to the quivering dragon, who was now looking at him from between it's talons, which were held over her eyes. Okay, this is strangely cute, but also disturbing.

"Not it. Her. Sylphid." She pointed at her dragon. "Tabitha." She pointed at herself. Avalon nodded.

"Alright then. I'm Avalon. You're Sylphid?" he said, turning to the dragon. Sylphid nodded, slowly removing its claws from it's eyes. "Alright then. Now look, I'm not mad at you for doing what you did, but you really surprised me." The dragon nodded, making noises of acknowledgement. "So I'll forgive you, only if you promise not to sneak up on me anymore. If you want to... what was it?" Avalon turned back to Tabitha.

"Smell."

"...If you want to... Smell me, or see me, preferably, just cry out and let me know you're coming. Can you do that for me?" The dragon nodded, and Avalon smiled, scratching the dragon's head. It seemed to melt to his touch, rubbing its cheek against him. Avalon laughed as he continued petting his new friend. As he did so, he noticed Tabitha had moved closer, examining Gungnir.

"How?" Avalon looked over at Tabitha, but did not stop scratching Sylphid.

"What do you mean how?"

"...forged. How?"

"Ah. This wasn't forged. This is actually my summon. Err, familiar, in your terms. Gungnir, if you would?"

"Hello, human," a voice echoed.

Tabitha blinked, seemingly looking surprised, but Avalon couldn't be sure. "Sentient weapon," she said.

"Indeed, that is what I am. I was summoned by master Avalon to serve him five years ago. Though he is a crude human with an awful sense of humor, he means well and will never fail to aid you in your time of need. I hope that you will get along well with him."

Much to Sylphid's displeasure, Avalon stopped scratching her to stare intently at his weapon.

"H-Hey, Gungnir, that's not cool. You're totally wrecking my image here! I'm not crude!"

"That time with Vin?"

"Okay, that was a misunderstanding. Vin healed up okay in the end!"

"That time with Sherry?"

"Hey, Sherry and I are cool now, besides, that birthday prank was awesome!"

"That time your mother found your por—"

"OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU! You can go back to dwelling in my spirit now!" Gungnir vanished with a flash of light, though Avalon could still feel the smug coming off of Gungnir. He sighed.

"...Odd pair." Avalon gave Tabitha an awkward smile.

"Yeah, tell me about it."


	5. Heir to the Demon Part 2

Finish the Fight: Heir to the Demon Part 2

 _Albion; the Royal Estate_

A man stood at the edge of his balcony, dark red eyes observing the long, dark landscapes that stood below his castle. His features were rough and roguish, but his pale, white hair was slicked back neatly, his beard trimmed to perfection. The sunlight had begun to just peek over the horizon, a soft wind blowing against the man's layered, white robes, his blue twintailed trench coat protecting him from the morning chill.

"I have news, Raziel," A young, female voice drifted from the shadows behind him.

Turning his head slightly the man named Raziel did not take his eyes off the landscape as he asked, "Matilda has brought good news, I hope?"

"Yes, the Gandalf has come, just like you foretold. Shall we continue with our operations against the nobility?"

"Leave them to squabble in their matters for now. The pathetic nobles of Albion have shriveled without their king, and it is only a matter of time before the prince himself will fall by my hand."

"Very well then. I will continue training the commoners. Will you require anything else?"

"Tell Matilda to keep observing the Gandalf, and make sure she steals the staff only during the familiar's festival. The defenses will be weak with Henrietta's coming, no doubt she will be eager to see Louise again, along with her familiar. They were friends in their youth, after all."

"Very well. Also, it seems that an elf was summoned along with the Gandalf. His mother, specifically. Her name is Sasha."

That made Raziel still.

"Is something wrong?" The female voice asked. However, he did not respond right away.

"...interesting. Of all the possible futures, this happens... I may get to reveal myself sooner than I thought." A savage grin stretched across Raziel's lips as he turned towards the woman behind him. She wore a long sleeved white shirt under a short sleeved sky blue tunic, with long white leggings. On her feet were a set of dark brown riding boots. On her hands were fingerless leather gauntlets her arms wrapped in bandages up to her elbows. On top of her outfit was a long, black hooded mantle, her eyes hidden in shadow. Long brown hair spilled out of her hood from both sides, draping past her shoulders. Ancient runes imprinted onto her forehead shone with a small light.

"Have Matilda observe Sasha instead. The Gandalf will be easy enough to manipulate, but with her, we're going to have to be a little more creative." Though he could not see her face, Raziel knew she was surprised.

"Don't be shocked, Myoznitnirn. I've lived for over 2000 years, it's to be expected that I would have learned to how outsmart an elf by now."

"You don't know her," she snarled.

Raziel raised his brow, amused. "And you do?"

The Myoznitnirn did not reply. Though Raziel had his answer.

A knock on his bed chamber door resounded, followed by the click of the doorknob. A beautiful, white haired woman entered, sporting the same red eyes as Raziel. She was wearing a stylized, dark blue dress that reached down to her ankles, the collars and edges of the dress a dark gold. Wrapped around her slender arms were gloves of the same dark blue, reaching up past her elbows. Her heels and rapier clicked as she walked elegantly along the stone floor.

"Is the prisoner ready, Charlotte?" asked Raziel.

She nodded. "Yes, beloved."

With a flourish of his coat, Raziel made for the exit of his bedchamber. Fixing his robes and giving Charlotte a gentle kiss, the three made his way down the staircase. As he reached the bottom, he walked through a small Alcove, approaching a set of double doors that led to the main courtyard of his castle. The sound of bustling voices could be heard in the other side, silenced as Raziel pushed open the doors. He was then greeted with cheers, the eyes of all the commoners in Albion showering him with admiration. A small stage had been set up, an older noble chained to a pole, sentries at his side, armed with spears. His clothes were dirtied and his face was beaten and bruised, but the hate was clear and strong in his eyes as he approached. Raziel stopped a few feet away.

"King Alexander Tudor! For your crimes against God's creations, and for the sins of the oppressive nobles, I herby declare you guilty! But, as a man who respects God and those who believe in him, I am not without mercy." Raising his hand, the sentries beside Alexander unchained him, letting him fall to the ground, though the men held their spears at his neck. Whispers of surprise spread throughout the crowd, but Raziel continued, turning his voice to the crowd that eagerly peered over one another's heads to the stage.

"Now, I'm sure all of you have been wondering for some time, what is Reconquista? For what purpose have I gathered all of you here today? Well, allow me to answer your questions." Raziel dramatically raised his hands into the air, his voice booming.

"God has heard your silent prayers! He has seen the oppression and the anguish that his creations have experienced, and has declared that the nobility are no longer worthy of his love and protection! Thus, he has sent me forth to lead you to a new age of prosperity!"

"Hah! Don't make laugh, you worthless commoner! Sent by God? You're nothing but a liar!"King Alexander struggled against the men who held him down, and looks of doubt spread. However, Raziel didn't lose his stride.

"Of course, it is but right that you doubt me. What proof do I have, that I have been sent? Allow me to show you. Men! Free him, and bring him his wand!" Shouts of surprise followed, but Raziel's men complied, allowing the former king to stand on his feet. A young girl brought forth his wand.

"I will allow you a chance to kill me, and reclaim your castle, King Alexander. But not only will I prove my divine calling, I shall do it without killing you!"

"You arrogant..! Fine then! Prepare to die, commoner! Wind Lance!" Pointing his wand forward, a stream of wind raced forward towards Raziel, the cries of the commoners filling the air. But in the blink of an eye, Raziel expertly dodged the wind spell, approaching the noble with masterful speed. He immediately twisted the noble's wrist, flipping him over and onto his back. He landed with a hard thud as the commoners cheered, not expecting the sudden turn of events. The sentries from earlier forced Alexander onto his knees, savage grins on their faces.

Raziel placed the entirety of his left hand of Alexander' forehead.

"W-what are you doing?!" Raziel looked down at him coldly.

"Proving that I am a messenger of God."

Alexander' body buckled as Raziel gripped his head firmly, and a shrill scream escaped from his lips, making the onlookers cringe, but not Raziel nor his sentries. As his voice died down, Raziel stepped back and the sentries let the man go, allowing him time to breathe several ragged breaths. Picking back up his wand which had fallen, Alexander looked up at Raziel with hate.

"You'll pay for not killing then, commoner! Wind Lance!"

It took a moment for the entirety of the crowd, and Alexander himself, to realize nothing had happened.

"Wind Lance! Wind Lance! Thundercloud! Lightning strike!" Again and again, Alexander continued to chant his spells, but nothing happened. A look of horror slowly crept upon his features. "W-What did you do to me?!"

Raziel ignored him, but instead turned to the crowd.

"Who here has had their family killed by one of this man's men? One of you, step forth!" At first no one did, not expecting the question, but to everyone's surprise, a boy, no older than twelve, stepped up, an eager look in his eye. His mother called after him, but Raziel smiled, nodding at the woman. She reluctantly stepped back.

"I like that look you have. Tell me, what has this man done?"

"He had my father executed for theft! But he didn't do it! I saw it happen! He was framed!" Several others in the crowd nodded their heads, the mother lowering her head. Raziel fell down on one knee, looking the boy at eye level.

"That is a terrible fate to befall one as young as you. Was your father a noble? What of your mother?" Confused, the boy shook his head, and Raziel stroked his head.

"Well, allow me to change that."

Placing his hands on the boy's temples, Raziel spoke loud and clear.

 _"Through pain and suffering, we struggle, but in it our hearts are made strong and pure."_

A golden glow enveloped the boy, dazzling everyone. The boy looked down at himself, feeling somehow much stronger, along with a feeling of a cool wind blowing against his skin, as if he were standing on the beaches of the sea. The glow died out, and silently, Raziel stood, raising the boy's hand.

"Say it. The spell that man used before to kill me." Nodding slowly, the boy braced his feet, targeting the noble before them.

"Wind Lance!"

A current of wind raced forth, piercing the man in the shoulder. Alexander and the crowd let out a startled cry, not believing what just happened. Raziel turned to the masses.

"God as sent me forth to answer your prayers, my friends! Behold the proof! He has given me the ability to take the magic that the nobles hold dear, and bestow it on others!" Renewed vigor and eagerness shined in the eyes of the commoners, and Raziel raised his hands.

"A new age has come for man kind; an age where all shall be able to use God's gift of magic!

The cheers of the crowd resonated throughout the land of Albion.

-Finish the Fight-

Avalon was standing.

His eyes whipped around, quickly examining his surroundings. He saw a desolated wasteland, flames scorching the rubble of the city around him. Bodies littered upon one another, the cries of the wounded echoing in the distance. A deep, low grumble that silenced the voices came from behind him, and Avalon turned around. Suddenly his left arm exploded, consumed by a black flame, the flames spreading across his body. He felt a searing pain course through him, his mouth opening in a silent scream as he heard a dreadful roar.

-Finish the Fight-

Avalon's eyes snapped open, and he inhaled sharply, his chest shooting itself up, but firm, soft arms held him down. His vision was blurry and his body covered in cold sweat, chest heaving as he tried to take in deep breaths of air. Unconsciously, his gaze moved to his left arm, which, thankfully, had none of the flames he dreamed about.

"What was it this time?" His mother's voice broke his confusion.

Looking over to his side, his mother was there, her arms wrapped around him, but he didn't recognize the… oh, right, he was summoned.

"... I was able to see, this time. Not just hear. It was horrible... Fire and bodies everywhere, and that same loud roar..."

Pushing himself up, Avalon shakily moved to the side of the bed, burying his face in his hands as he tried to grab his mental bearings. Thankfully, his mother said nothing, only moving beside him in support, holding him close.

"It's morning. We have work to do," she said after a while. Avalon looked in her direction.

"Work? Are we going to see the headmaster about last night?"

"Well, there's that, but don't think that just because we're in a new land, we're not going to continue with your training!" She gave him a sugary smile as Avalon's entire mood shot to hell.

"Ugh, but mom!"

"No buts! Now, meet me outside in ten minutes, where we were summoned. Do you remember how to get there?" Avalon scratched his head, grumbling as his mother walked towards the door.

"Yeah, I went exploring last night… Damn it, this is gonna be a disaster… Then again, what else is new?"

"No complaining," she said, exiting the door. Avalon waited silently as his mother's footsteps faded, waiting for complete silence. He then stood up, did a little stretching, and then proceeded out the door. He thought he would encounter students, but surprisingly not he didn't, and he found out why when he reached outside. It was still very early in the day, perhaps five in the morning? There was sunlight, but it hadn't risen yet, leaving the sky a light hue. He took some time to admire it as he made his way.

"There you are. Shall we get started?" Sasha said as her son approached. She noticed his dejected look, but the wariness in his eye told her he was prepared. As he called forth Gungnir, she lifted up her hand.

"Scream, Yukikaze!"

An elongated rod of ice formed, and Sasha gripped it, allowing her Katana to burst forth from the ice. The handle of the blade was exquisitely wrapped in a thick, blue cloth, making a criss-cross pattern. The hand guard was a star, instead of the typical oval guard. Checking the six foot blade for any imperfections, Sasha nodded her head, satisfied.

"Good morning, master." A female voice rung from the blade.

"Good morning Yuki. Are you ready for today's training?" Sasha asked, but Avalon groaned.

"Oh, come on! That's not fair, you always counter pick my element! Can't I fight something else for a change?" Avalon complained, but Sasha simply took her stance. Avalon, knowing his attempts were futile, did the same.

Sasha took note that her son did not notice the faint glow coming from his left hand.

A moment of silence passed, and she rushed forward.

Avalon wasn't sure what it was, but something happened. His heart began beating furiously, the sound resonating in his ears. He began hearing the whistling of the wind against the grass, the singing of Yuki as she cut through the air, the rustling of his mother's grip against the cotton handle, the sounds of his mother's footsteps, the world slowing down as he realized his mother was about to slice off his head.

Retreating, Avalon stabbed Gungnir into the ground, a torrent of electricity racing forward, scorching the grass, making him flinch. With a wave of her blade, the air in its path frosted, cancelling out the lightning, however it had slowed her steps down. Avalon flinched again. Everything was so _loud._

Sasha took advantage of Avalon's hesitation and boldly swung her weapon, but Avalon retreated once more, holding the very end of the staff for maximum range as he thrust. Sasha easily ducked under the attack, and attempted to move closer, but Avalon stopped her, pulling his staff back into his hand and swinging forward the other end of his Spear.

Sasha lifted up her sword, and as her weapon met his, the screeching of the metal seemed to stretch on, though it was not as deafening as he thought. He was getting used to it, and hopefully before his mother kicked his ass. The two exchanged several more blows, Avalon taking advantage of his heightened senses, his brain kicking into overdrive as he processed everything he could.

 _That grip... Shit, she's going to throw an ice blade!_

Just as he suspected, Sasha attacked with her weapon in reverse grip, sending forward a rotating, crescent shaped wave of ice. Avalon congratulated himself as he calmly calculated the distance between himself and the attack, its circumference, its trajectory, and came up with several possible situations that his mother could do to take the offensive advantage. Avalon decided to trust his instinct, and in a daring attempt slid under the blade of ice as it rotated parallel to the ground. As he did so, his mother did just as he had guessed, and jumped into the air. Avalon immediately jumped at the opportunity to attack.

"Arc Blast!" he shouted, thrusting Gungnir forward. True to its name, an arc of lightning raced towards his mother, and though she blocked it successfully with a wall of ice. It allowed him to change their positioning, now he in the open field and his mother with her back to the wall. Sasha smiled.

"Very impressive, my son. I'm glad my teachings have not been wasted on you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. We both know that you enjoy kicking my ass. How cruel God is, to give me a mother who only knows how to love battle." Avalon gave a small grin of his own, feeling giddy on the inside. That was the first time he had successfully avoided that. He wondered how he was able to think of that solution so quickly. He almost felt mentally exhausted.

However, his happiness was short lived.

Avalon looked down as he felt a chill, and swore very loudly as he realized his mother had anticipated his plan. His feet were frozen to the ground. He looked up, the last thing he saw being a dagger of ice headed straight for his face.

"Son of a-"

-Finish the Fight-

Sasha disabled her ice spell as Avalon fell to the floor. Gungnir had vanished with a flash of lightning, signalling Avalon's unconscious state. She sighed, walking over to him.

"Well done, Master. That was a splendid trap."

"That may be, but my son cannot be discredited. The timing for his slide under my attack was strict. I didn't even think it was possible."

"Indeed. The runes seem to have affected his physical state of being. His body was moving much faster than normal."

"...but that's just it. He wasn't."

"Pardon?"

Sasha remained silent, her weapon not pushing for more answers. Instead, she allowed herself to be dismissed, shattering into fragments of ice. After a long silence, she sighed.

"Why did it have to come to this..."

She was about to wake up Avalon, when her ears caught the sound of a surprised gasp. She turned, and saw a maid hiding around the corner, frozen in place as their eyes met. Sasha tilted her head.

"Excuse me, young maid? Could you do me a favor, and bring me a bucket of cold water?" she asked aloud, a small grin spreading across her lips. The Asian looking maid, unsure, didn't move.

"If possible, now. Do you need help?" That jump started the maid.

"N-No! I'll bring it right away!"

She was gone for a few minutes, coming back with a full bucket. Sasha smiled coyly, looking down at her son.

"H-Here," said the maid, holding up the bucket. Sasha gently took it, her fingers brushing against the maid's. The maid quickly pulled her hands away, clutching her hands close to her chest. Sasha sighed.

"Please, do not be afraid, human. I will not harm you. The stories you have heard of our kind are only that; stories. I hope that I will be able to change your view on us." She gave her a gentle smile, elated as she saw the maid's shoulders loosen. "What's your name?"

The maid straightened, surprised at the question. "S-Siesta, of Tarbes." The maid gave a robotic curtsey. Sasha placed the bucket down, returning the gesture, much to the maid's surprise.

"My name is Sasha. The boy here is Avalon, my son." That surprised the maid, and Sasha gave her a smile. "Indeed, we are related by blood; his father is human." She then looked down at Avalon, whose head was right next to the bucket, smiling.

Seeing him spit and sputter as she kicked the bucket's contents onto his head was priceless.

"GAH! C-C-C-COLD!" he shouted, swinging his arms wildly as he sat up. Looking at his surroundings, Avalon glared at his mother as he stood up.

"That wasn't cool." Touching his clothes, Avalon heated them through his skin, evaporating the water. He ran his hands through his hair, repeating the proccess, eyeing the maid as she stared in awe. "Whose this?"

"Avalon, this is Siesta." Avalon gave her a quick one over, slightly surprised at the fact that her breasts fit comfortably in that outfit. Wasn't that uncomfortable?

"Y-Your hair! Your clothes! Was that magic?" Siesta Exclaimed.

Sasha and Avalon raised their eyebrows, although for different reasons. Sasha wondered why she was confused; had she not walked in on her and Avalon training together? Avalon on the other hand, was confused about the comment on his magic, before he remembered the way magic worked in this land. He shook his head.

"Yeah. I get it from my mom. She's my mom," said Avalon, pointing over to Sasha, who gave him a smile. Siesta looked between the two, not sure what to say.

After a moment of silence, Avalon awkwardly looked up at the sky, seeing the sun shining brighter over the horizon.

"Ah, I have to go wake up Louise. Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Siesta. See you around!"

Straightening his clothes and making a mental note to buy new ones, Avalon jogged away, heading straight towards Louise's room. Siesta watched him go, still at a loss as to what to say, before turning back to Sasha.

"Um... Is there anything else you would like?" Sasha looked over to Siesta, giving her another smile.

"Yes actually. Would it be possible for you to prepare me a meal?"

-Finish the Fight-

As Avalon made his way, he thought back on what he had experienced during his fight.

"That was so weird," Avalon whispered. "Did you notice anything different, Gungnir?"

" _As a matter of fact, I did. The runes on your left hand began reacting when you took hold of me."_

"The runes did?" Looking down at his left hand, Avalon stopped for a moment, before calling Gungnir into his right hand. The runes began giving a soft, faint glow, and Avalon felt all of his senses enhance. "Huh, cool. I'll have to play around with that later. Thanks Gungnir."

Continuing on, Avalon noticed he received odd looks from the students passing by. They whispered behind his back, gossiping about yesterday's events, so he paid no mind to them. As he reached Louise's room, he knocked on her door.

"Hey, Louise, it's me. I'm coming in."

Waiting for a moment, he went inside. Avalon looked at the bed and noticed Louise was still fast asleep, her soft white skin shining under the sunlight. Looking closely, she was really cute when she wasn't awake and angry. He almost don't want to wake her but...

"Hey, wake up!" said Avalon, pulling the sheets away. She stirred, and sat up from her bed.

"Huh? Oh, right… Didn't I summon you just yesterday?" Louise mumbled, sitting up.

"Yeah, you did. Anyway, hurry up and get dressed so we can go to your class. I need to see your magic system here so I can help you."

Suddenly awakened, Louise scrambled out of her bed, opening her closet and removing her robes. Avalon rolled his eyes, walking out, but before he could, she stopped him.

"Where's my underwear?" Was she for real?

"What? What do you mean where's your underwear?" Louise gave Avalon a dead look from around the corner of her closet door.

"What are you talking about? Get my underwear, and help me get dressed," she called out, deadpanned.

"Help you get-?! Are you six? Put on your own clothes!" Avalon retorted, his cool visage fading. She gave him a frustrated look.

"When there's a servant, nobles never put their own clothes on."

"Well, there's a first time for everything. Besides," A sly grin spread across his face. "If I see your body, I might not be able to keep my hands off you. Would you rather we stay here and have me comfort you? We are young and healthy, so it's only natural." Louise flushed with embarrassment.

"W-well – That's going nothing to do with – you stupid horn dog!" Louise finally settled on, stomping her foot and clenching her fists and teeth so hard Avalon could hear them grinding. Her face flushed as pink as her hair as she gave him a death glare. Avalon couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Now hurry up and put your own clothes on, because I'm not doing it for you," Avalon said, moving towards the door. Avalon slammed it shut to prove his point, crossing his arms as Avalon leaned against the wall.

-Finish the Fight-

After Louise finished dressing, muttering complaints about Avalon's devilish grin and dirty comments, they headed out of her dormitory. As they entered her main building some time later, ignoring the stares of fellow students, Avalon took the time to examine the building. It was very exquisite, with a very old medieval feel. It wasn't as impressive as Hogwarts, but it was something similar. Grand staircases, paintings all over the walls, ( _no moving paintings? What a bummer,_ )and marble hallways. Louise and Avalon walked out of the main foyer towards what looked like a large mess hall. Long tables and benches stretched all the way across in a four by three arrangement, the tables filled with all sorts of meals. Louise chose an empty seat, and Avalon pulled out her chair for her, let her sit and slid her chair back into the table, standing dutifully behind her. The other students gave him odd and questioning stares as Avalon observed them, his expression cold and neutral. He looked for Tabitha, finding her sitting at the far end of the table across from Louise. A dark skinned, well-endowed red head was with her, eyeing him curiously. Avalon gave Tabitha an affirmative, subtle nod, one that she responded to, much to the red-head's surprise. An animated conversation followed.

Louise didn't offer him food. Avalon remained silent and ignored the slight pangs of hunger. Although he couldn't help but note how the seats around Louise were empty…

After she finished eating, we moved to the front courtyard, near where the summoning was held. We were quiet for a while, but Louise started talking again.

"During a meal, familiars are supposed to be outside on standby. You're lucky to have stood next to me."

"Right. You know, with that attitude, it's no wonder you don't have any friends. Besides, I'm pretty sure my mother will have a word with you if you keep treating me like this." Louise froze at the mention of his mother, and Avalon snickered. She was about to retort, but they finally entered a courtyard, and Avalon noticed some people sitting at tables, being served by maids and waiters.

"What's going on? Aren't we going to class?" Avalon couldn't help but ask. Louise sighed, letting his antics slide. She wasn't too bothered by it, to be honest. He did promise to help her with her magic.

And truth be told, she did _not_ want to receive a disciplining from his mother. She already had enough from her own mother. She couldn't imagine what it would be like from an elf.

"Kind of. I forgot to mention it yesterday, but there's no lesson today for second years; this is to start communication with the familiars they just summoned."

" _Makes sense,"_ Avalon rationalized. He was a bit peeved she had forgotten, but it was crying over spilled milk at this point.

"Oh?" Avalon heard a voice from behind. He and Louise turned, and there it was, a red salamander the size of a crocodile. It looked very similar to that of the komodo water dragons of the tropical, except this was fire. The salamander had fiery red, bumpy skin, the end of its tail on fire. As Avalon further examined it, he noticed its short, stubby feet had talons. Avalon then forced his gaze towards the source of voice. The tall, voluptuous woman he saw with Tabitha earlier stood before him. Getting a closer look, her figure was almost a perfect hourglass, and Avalon couldn't help but nod in approval, humming with delight. Beside her was Tabitha.

"What's wrong? Is my beauty that stunning to you?" The busty redhead giggled, her tone of voice exotic and seducing.

"Well, I can't say I don't like what I see," Avalon replied. The red head laughed in response, while Louise began growling.

"Hey Louise, I like him. Do you mind if I borrow your familiar?"

Louise's face scrunched up in suppressed anger. "Absolutely not! And he isn't my familiar, he's my partner!" Louise shouted, clearly agitated. Avalon blinked in surprise. Where did that come from?

"Partner? So you actually came to an agreement? I must say, you've impressed me, Valliere. Congratulations. But I must ask, is it true that the elf we saw yesterday was your mother?" The redhead asked. Avalon shrugged.

"Yup. Dad's a human though. What about it?" The red head began laughing.

"That's quite interesting! Tell me, what's it like living in Elven society? Were you persecuted because of your half-blooded heritage? If you want, I recommend coming to Germania. It's a little bit on the rough side of land, but the culture there doesn't care about your origins. If you have the money to back you up, you could even become a noble."

Louise looked back at Avalon, thinking Kirche overstepped her boundaries. However, to her surprise, Avalon took it in stride. He smiled, placing his hands on the back of his head.

"Nope! I was treated rather normally. I mean, I got into a few scuffles with the kids my age, but we worked it out somehow," he said, waving off the question. Kirche let out an interested hum, while the blue haired girl looked up from her book.

"Impossible. Elves hate humans," said the blue haired girl. Avalon shook his head.

"Not all of them. Just look at my—whoa!"

Avalon was forced onto his back as Kirche's Salamander began crawling on top of him. It then proceeded to lick his face.

"Ack! Hey! Whoa there, little guy!"

"Flame! Bad Flame! I was supposed to lick his face first!"

Flame briefly stopped to look at its master, when suddenly a loud, draconic cry pierced the air. Sylphid swooping down from the skies. She landed with a loud crash, crouching low and growling at the red lizard angrily. The Salamander responded in turn, shifting its body horizontally over Avalon, his front claws on his chest. The blue dragon let out another growl, before moving to lick Avalon's face as well.

"W-W-Wait you two! What the hell is—gah!"

The two lizards then began a licking contest, much to Avalon's dismay. Feeling their long, forked tongues spread their disgusting saliva on his face was just—no! No! Luckily, he didn't have to wait long, as he heard Louise shout something, before the familiars finally got off his chest. Sitting up and rubbing his face into his shirt, he glared at the two lizards.

"Sylphid, that. Was not. Cool. What did I tell you yesterday?" Avalon began berating the blue dragon, the lizard's head bowed in shame. She nodded, giving him a puppy eyed look, though Avalon did his best to hold strong.

"That's not going to work Sylphid. From now on, if you lick my face like that again without my permission, I won't scratch your head anymore. You too, whatever your name is!" Looking stricken with grief, both Flame and Sylphid let out an apologetic warble as they nodded, Avalon nodding in satisfaction, scratching their heads. After a moment, he turned back to the others, seeing Kirche and Louise standing there with puzzled looks on their faces. Avalon raised his brow.

"What?"

"You know her name?" Kirche asked, looking over to Tabitha. "Did you tell him?"

"Last night," Tabitha added. Avalon nodded.

"Yeah, we met last night. Apparently, I smell like a dragon, so they really like that. I have no idea what they mean though or how." Shrugging his shoulders, Avalon moved back to Louise's side, giving her a thank you. She nodded, but didn't say anything else.

"Now that that tom foolery is done with, Avalon and I have some things to discuss." Taking his hand, Louise began pulling Avalon away, much to Sylphid and Flame's dismay. He waved to Kirche and Tabitha as they went off, the red and blue pair watching curiously.

"He smells like a dragon? Is that true flame?" She looked down at her familiar, who was nestled down at her feet. The lizard looked up at his master, croaking, then nodding. Kirche looked over at Tabitha. "What do you think that's all about?"

Tabitha raised her eyes from her book, locking onto the back of Sylphid's newfound friend.

"I don't know."


	6. Tears

Finish the Fight Chapter 4: Tears

 **AN: You know, in my opinion, not many have been able to portray Louise properly. While there are many wonderful fanfics out there that made her into a strong, likable character, not many have focused on what we were given; the vulnerable, insecure, and helpless Louise that only did what she had to, to earn the respect and affection of those around her. Comedy and poor story elements aside, Louise's life was really dark and cruel, and I wanted to focus on that in the next two chapters.**

 **-** Finish the Fight-

Louise silently tugged Avalon along, taking him outside the school gates and to the forest west of the campus. Avalon had questions, but assumed it was for the best. He would be teaching her Ether, after all. They would need to be far away from others if they were to train spells together. Ether could get rather dangerous if not controlled properly.

Eventually, they reached a well-lit, wide grove, although…

"What the heck happened here?" Avalon asked, examining his surroundings. The entirety of the grove was barren of life, the trees damaged and the ground scorched black. Louise promptly let go of Avalon, turning to him with a small frown of embarrassment on her face.

"This is where I come to practice. Professor Colbert helped me find it, and occasionally helps maintain the place. It's a lot bigger than it was before because of my… explosions." Louise looked down at the ground, but held her stance firm. Avalon tilted his head.

"Well, it's definitely a nice place to train. Anyway, let's get started." A smile of excitement spread across Louise's face, and she nodded, following Avalon to the center of the grove.

"Good. Now explain to me what my magic is!"

"Hold your horses. Before I explain ether, I'll explain spirit magic and why we call it that. It won't make sense to you otherwise." Louise crossed her arms, slightly impatient, but the look in her eye told Avalon she understood. And she did. The idea of learning an entirely new culture of magic made her heart race. What would be different? What would be similar? How could this move their worlds forward? She was quite excited. It wasn't every day that you could learn about magic about the elves; not even Brimir had it figured out.

"Magic for us, you see, is the expression of your innermost self. Each element pertains to certain traits of a person, and a person's elements are determined by the overall environment and moulding of the child's psychological state as they grow up. Through thousands years of research we found patterns, and were able to streamline the process. However, despite the patterns, the beauty of magic is that no one person is the same. For example, while all fire mages may be driven and passionate, not all are driven by the same goals. Because of this and the learning process one can go through in their lifetime, mages from my land can wield potentially any number of elements." Louise frowned in thought at that, thinking of Colbert and Kirche. It was a true comparison. There was no way that Colbert and that cow sought the same goals.

"That's really different from our system. To us, Magic is a sign of our proof that we are of Brimir's line. For us, our elements are determined almost randomly, and can change based on a number of factors like your parent's elements." Avalon nodded.

"Right. However, like your system, we have what we call aura, which would be the equivalent to willpower in your case." Avalon sat down in the middle of the grove, not bothered by the want and destruction. Louise stood there, looking at Avalon with a deadpanned expression. Avalon gestured in front of him, and Louise grumbled, sitting down on the damaged terrain.

"You mentioned that before, that you felt my aura?" Louise went on after finding a comfortable position.

"Yes. It's a bit difficult to explain, but consider it a sixth sense; we can feel magic when it is used in all its forms; spells, potions, what have you. It is a difficult thing to do though and takes a lot of training to master. Still, the results make it worth the training; you could potentially feel if your opponent was casting a big spell or not by the quantity of the magic they put forward when casting, which direction it's coming from, and even feel how much aura they have left. As such, we usually fight in groups, to make things more difficult, as its impossible to split your concentration evenly among the chaos." Louise frowned at that, her thoughts running over what he had said.

"Where does that leave me? Can you teach me how to sense… aura?"

"I can, I think. If anything, I can ask my mom for some tips; she's the one who taught me everything I know. It won't be easy though; it probably won't take as long for you to get started, but I think it may take a while for you to master doing it in the middle of battle." Louise nodded, satisfied. It was a start. Avalon then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Now, close your eyes, and listen to the sound of my voice." Louise did just that, taking a deep breath.

"Now listen to the sound of your heartbeat. Breathe. In… and out." Avalon paused for several moments, and Louise felt herself relaxing as she listened to her heart, its rhythmic beating almost hypnotizing.

"Ether is the energy of life, and exists in all living things. Without ether, there would be no life.

"Ether is driven by emotion. Powerful feelings of all kinds make it stronger. Without feelings, we would be nothing but mindless beasts. It distinguishes the lines between all creatures. "

Louise heard Avalon stand and walk towards her, placing what felt like his fingers on her forehead. Then suddenly, a pleasant, cool sensation shot through her from Avalon's fingers, and she shivered. Memories of her life flowed through her mind with a sharp clarity.

"Think back Louise. Think back to every time you have ever cast a spell. Think about the emotions you felt. The energy that surged through you. I know you felt it, because I did as well."

Louise did as she was told, and thought back to the times she cast her explosions. She thought about the concentration, the desperation, the anger, the hostility… and the build-up. All the sleepless nights, all the pain and sadness. But how was she supposed to let it flow through her?

"I don't understand," Louise said aloud, her chest feeling tight. It was as if closing walls were slowly wrapping around her heart, crushing it, ready to explode in her chest. Avalon hushed gently, removing his fingers from her forehead.

"Don't think. Feel. Feel your emotions, Louise. Feel your experiences, how they defined you, and embrace them. Every experience you went through, every emotion you felt, made you who you are."

Louise tried. She tried and tried, but every time she thought about her experiences, all the pain she went through, she felt nothing but negativity. All the jeers, the depression, the anger.

The loneliness.

Her chest began to hurt, and she let out a cry of pain, clutching her chest. She bent over, breathing hard as she broke free from her meditation, her eyes snapping wide open as adrenaline surged through her veins. Avalon quickly moved to her side, pulling Louise into a soft embrace. She tried to fight it, but her quivering hands and jelly legs prevented her from escaping his firm, yet gentle grasp.

"Its okay, Louise. Its okay. You don't need to be afraid."

Not bothering to struggle any longer, Louise rested in his arms, taking comfort in the warmth that Avalon provided. He gently stroked her hair, pondering on what just happened. He felt her emotions, and she had been successful in feeling her ether, but she…

"W-What was that?" Louise asked, her voice shaking. Avalon stopped mid stroke, before sighing.

"That was your ether." A small gasp escaped from her lips.

"T-That's what it was? I felt like my heart was getting crushed!"

"I know. I felt the negativity… and it overwhelmed you. But what I don't understand is why." Avalon let go of Louise, taking the time to look at her tear stained face. "Louise, why do you hate your magic?"

She paused, her expression falling to the ground as the facts came falling down on her. She hadn't really thought about it, focused more on improving and proving her peers wrong, and yet…

"… I need some time to think about this." Louise gently pushed Avalon away, clearly shaken still. Avalon said nothing, wanting to push the subject, but Louise was clearly troubled. Ether was a powerful element, amplified by the emotions of the user. She must have felt those emotions for a long time, to be affected like that… could the explosions be the result of her experiences? What exactly did she go through?

They returned to the academy in silence. Still holding some dignity, Louise walked herself back to her dorm as they approached the main gate, the courtyards filled with less people now. Some of the other nobles eyed Louise as she passed, some curious, some frowning, but none said anything, their conversations hushing as the two passed. Louise sped up her walk. Eventually they reached her dorm room.

"I want to be alone for a while. Do you mind?" Avalon looked momentarily surprised, before nodding. Louise sighed with relief. "Thank you. Meet me here again tomorrow morning. Classes will resume, and I want you to come with me."

Louise gave Avalon no time to reply. She quickly entered her room, shutting the door firmly behind her. She waited for his footsteps to fade away, before throwing herself onto her bed with a sob.

-Finish the Fight-

It was sundown. After returning Louise to her room, he stayed on the rooftop nearby, keeping an eye on her. Normally he would have sensed her aura to check on her, but as he couldn't feel it, he had to do it the old fashioned way and spy on her window. She hadn't come out since he left. He was starting to get worried about her.

"Kyuu?" The dragon beside him must have sensed his feelings, as she began to rub her head across his back and under his arm. Avalon absentmindedly scratched the ridge of Sylphid's eye, making her almost sigh in pleasure. Tabitha, who was off to the side, looked up, seeing the troubled expression on his face, wanted to comment, but she figured it wasn't any of her business. Avalon turned, catching a glimpse of Tabitha's gaze as she quickly returned it back to her book. He smiled.

"Say, Tabitha, do you mind if I ask you something?" She looked up from her book, nodding slightly. "What do you know about Louise?" Tabitha blinked.

"…Broad question." Avalon hummed in response, rethinking his question.

"Well, do you know anything about her family?"

"… Daughter of a Duke and Duchess. Third youngest."

"Wow, really? Her family is that powerful, huh? That's impressive. What about her friends? Does she have any?"

An awkward silence followed, Tabitha not knowing what to say. Avalon waited patiently, before his eyes widened.

"She doesn't have…?" Tabitha quickly shook her head.

"Professor Colbert. Two of them close. Louise… acquaintance. I help her study." Avalon sat back, starting to understand Louise's negativity, but he still wasn't satisfied. He turned his gaze back to the sunset. Nothing more was said between them, though Avalon resolved to go visit her tomorrow. He would let Louise rest tonight.

-Finish the Fight-

Louise was running. Her lungs burned in her chest as she heaved breath after breath, attempting to escape the shadow that loomed behind her.

 _Look, its Louise the Zero!_

 _Watch out, she might blow you up! That's all your good for, isn't it?!_

" _Louise the zero! Zero chest, zero grades, and zero friends!"_

The taunting continued, the echoing laughter ringing inside her ears. She tried to shut them out, but the voices proceeded, and all she could think of was to run away. Be anywhere but here. Yet no matter what she did, she felt trapped, a lingering despair of no escape.

The _laughter._

The _scorn._

Tears fell from her eyes. She wanted to cry, but no sound came from her lips. She looked around her, seeing only darkness.

She was alone.

-Finish the Fight-

A loud knock broke Louise out of her sleep, and she shot up from her bed with a startled cry. Her breathing was heavy, and her vision blurry from tears. The nightmare she had was still clear in her mind, and she could almost hear the voices even now. More knocking came that thankfully distracted her, even if it was just for a moment.

"Hey, Louise, it's me," said Avalon, knocking on her door. Louise quickly shuffled out of her bed.

"O-One second," she called out, taking the time to change out of her robes and compose herself, applying as much make up as she could to hide her tired features in the mirror, although she couldn't fully get rid of them. Once ready, she opened the door.

"A-Avalon, you're here. Shall we get going?"

Louise berated herself for sounding weak. She was a Valliere! She should be able to control herself! Luckily, it seemed her familiar—no, partner—didn't notice, and only nodded, not mentioning the dark bags under her eyes. As they walked down the hall, Louise kept looking back at Avalon, wanting to say something, but not sure if she could say it. Avalon gave her a puzzled look.

"Is something wrong?" After a moment of thought, Louise shook her head.

"A-Are you sure you want to come to class, Avalon?" she asked. As they walked down the hall, they ignored the students pressing themselves against the wall. Looks like they were still spreading rumors about his lineage. Go figure.

"I do. I want to study more about your magic. Perhaps it can help me teach you." They were entering the classroom now, the chattering and laughter dying out into hushed whispers. Louise flinched, their actions reminding her of her dream. Still, she kept her movement natural, and her head low, as she and Avalon took a seat.

Avalon wondered about Louise's condition through the lecture. She seemed almost worse for wear, and Avalon felt bad, regretting his decision to not visit her the prior night. He would have to keep a close eye on her; she could have a breakdown at any moment.

As the lecture went on, Louise was soon called to demonstrate the transfiguration of bronze into brass. He began to suspect that something was very wrong when some of the students began walking out of the classroom, many others standing up in protest. "Wait a second, professor! You can't possibly mean to have Louise the zero demonstrate, can you?!" Kirche shouted, completely distraught.

"Louise the zero…" Avalon muttered under his breath. Louise's face turned red with embarrassment, and Avalon didn't have time to think about it, as Kirche's doubt in Louise's ability seemed to set her off. "I'll do it," she said, walking up to the front of the classroom. The students began to sink into their chairs as Louise raised her wand, her lips moving with her incantation. Avalon kept a close eye on her, preparing himself for the worst.

He was glad that he did.

Avalon moved immediately, standing at the front of the desk and conjuring a strong barrier around the explosion. The damage was contained, luckily, but Louise's pride wasn't.

The insults came. Everyone began tossing Louise disgusted looks as she stood there staring at the fruits of her spell, shaking. The teacher tried to calm the class down, but to no avail.

"…I failed again," she whispered, before darting out of the classroom.

"Louise! Wait!" Avalon chased after her, following her down the hall and out of the building. He easily caught up with her using a quick wind spell, boosting him forward. He grabbed her arm, but Louise thrashed against him, crying incoherently.

"Louise! It's okay!" Avalon tried to verbally calm her down, but she was too distraught, her fading aura in complete chaos. She resisted as he tried to hold her down, scratching and kicking and biting, but Avalon held strong. His mind raced about how he could calm her down, but he was drawing a blank. What could he do? What would mom do?

"Why?!" Louise screamed her heart out.

"Why was I born different from the others? Why does every spell I cast just explode in my face?!"

"I hate it… I can't stand it… If I wasn't born like this, I wouldn't be alone…"

Louise sobbed, no longer caring about her pride. And it was at that moment Avalon finally understood what happened, why she rejected her magic. His resolve to help her strengthened even further, and Avalon tightened his embrace. Suddenly struck with a mad idea, he decided to do what his mother always did for him. He pulled her down to the ground, Louise on his lap as Avalon leaned against the nearest wall.

"Come stop your crying it'll be alright, just take my hand, hold it tight…" Louise fought hard, trying to shake her hand free as Avalon gripped hers in his.

"I will protect you from all around you, I will be here, don't you cry…" Louise momentarily paused, heaving, and Avalon whispered, "Its okay Louise, everything is going to be fine!" As if to defy his words, Louise screamed even louder, almost sobbing, trying desperately to break free. With his free hand, Avalon stroked her hair. He continued the melodic song, hoping that its words and its gentleness would soothe her insecurities. Though she struggled for a long while, as he progressed through to the second chorus, Louise began to calm, her movements mere spasms. Eventually, she became still, but for assurance, Avalon continued the song, singing it through until the end.

Silence fell, and Louise stirred.

"….What was that song?" Louise mumbled, and Avalon let her go as she pushed herself up from her position. "Avalon? What are you doing here?"

"It's a song from my homeland. My mother used to sing it to me to help me sleep." Louise shook her head after a moment of contemplation.

"…It was beautiful. Thank you for… you know."

An awkward silence fell between them, neither party not knowing what to say. Louise shifted and Avalon swept his gaze left and right, not sure what to do next.

"…So, uh, you gonna be okay?" Avalon asked. Louise sat there for a few moments, dazed.

"…I think so." Avalon nodded, standing up.

"Alright then, I guess we should head back—" He turned, ready to leave, but Louise panicked, and quickly reached out, taking hold of his hand. Avalon stopped mid step, turning back to Louise. Panic was all he could think of when he saw her expression.

"W-Wait… please… I… I don't…"

Avalon didn't have the heart in him to say no.


	7. Convictions

Finish the Fight 4.5: Convictions

 **AN: Huzzah for expanding universes. I didn't like how Tears ended, to be honest, and have erased the last confession bit to develop Louise in this chapter and further expand on Louise's thought process. Also, I realized I had no explanation for Kirche's advances on Louise in the latest chapter, so I thought to 'plant the seed' of their relationship, so to speak, here, and build it up. Eventually, when I'm done with chapter 12, I will move this to its proper place between tears and sincerely yours. Until then, enjoy!**

It had been days since the disastrous miscast. Louise wasn't punished severely for the damages; however, she had excused herself from further attendance and instead spent her time being tutored by Avalon. She had slowly been progressing in her meditation, but every now and again Avalon liked to mix things up on her.

Panting heavily from the long, physical exertion, Louise let herself fall onto the forest floor. Her clothes were a mess. Her hair was tangled. Her body burned in places she was sure that they weren't supposed to. And she now had a greater appreciation for the spring breeze and afternoon sun.

"Alright, that's enough exercise for today," said Avalon, finished stretching his limbs. His chipper attitude irritated her somewhat.

"Why are we doing these again?" Louise asked between gasps.

"That's the fifth time you've asked me that." Avalon gave her a relaxed look. "Because it keeps you strong. Just because you're a mage, doesn't mean you should neglect your body." Placing a hand on his elbow, Avalon gestured with his free hand. "Your body is the basis of all activity. If you can't master your body, you won't have the strength to match your activities. Besides, it's a good way to relieve stress."

Helping her off the ground, Louise reluctantly stood up, her limbs shaking slightly as she regained her footing. But she had to admit, she did feel pretty good.

"Whatever. Let's just head back before it gets dark."

The two headed back to the academy in silence, Louise's mind wandering. She wondered about what she was doing with her life. She wondered about what her family was doing now. She wondered what the point of all this was. She was glad that Avalon was keeping her busy, but when the days came to an end and Louise was left with her thoughts, she couldn't help but wonder about where the future was headed. She knew that worrying about it wouldn't solve anything, and that all she could do was…

 _Great, now I'm just running my thoughts in circles._

Giving her head a shake as they approached the school grounds, Louise internally groaned as she heard a particular, irritating laugh from a certain, infamous boy. A pair came into view as Louise and Avalon passed the entrance gate and approached the main doors. The taller of the two was grudgingly handsome. He had fair skin and striking, blonde hair, but what irritated her was how he blatantly used his looks to chase skirts all over the academy. Such was his latest victim, a younger first year that she had seen around. She had long, brown hair, tied into a ponytail.

"I'm good at making soufflé!" the female said, fluttering her eyelashes up at him.

"I would love to try it sometime," the boy, Guiche, replied, with an easy smile that made the girl giggle.

"Really?!" she said, excitement in her voice.

"Of course, my dear Katie. I cannot tell lies in front of your eyes," he whispered in to her ear, making Katie shiver in delight. _God, what a player._

"Master Guiche…" Katie said, clearly in love with him. If she had a sign around her neck that proclaimed "HEAD OVER HEELS FOR YOU", it couldn't have been more obvious.

"There cannot be any deceitfulness in my feelings toward you…" He went on. Not wanting to hear any more, Louise strode passed them, rolling her eyes as she did so. She didn't get very far.

"Hold it, zero."

Louise didn't want to stop. She intended to ignore him. But as soon as she heard _that infuriating word,_ she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Her name is Louise. It would do you well to use it." Louise turned to see Avalon glaring daggers at Guiche. The blonde fop nearly flinched, but he played it off with a flourish of his hair.

"Ah, very well. Please forgive my insolence, Louise _the zero._ " He purposefully emphasized her title. Avalon's scowl deepened, but Louise placed a hand on his shoulder. She was too tired for this.

"Just leave it alone. I don't care."

"You don't have to care for me to care. I won't let him treat you like this."

"Hah, you think _I_ treat her badly? Well, I suppose it makes sense for a commoner to be illusioned so." He brushed his hair aside. "Very well. Since you have been more timid than I expected, zero, I will show my grace this once and allow you to leave. But know this; don't think I didn't catch that disdain in your eyes. I will not tolerate it if I see it in the future, and will make sure you'll regret it." A cocky smirk spread across his lips.

Louise grabbed Avalon by the wrist before he could do anything more, pulling him down the hall. She was determined to remain indifferent to his words.

 _Just ignore him. He's right, anyway. So what does it matter?_

-Finish the Fight-

"I just don't get it. Why doesn't she stand up for herself?"

Avalon was back in his room, pacing back and forth. Sasha was sitting on the bed, combing her hair as she patiently listened.

"Everyone bullies her just because her magic is different. And to top it all off, she just takes it! I've heard from Tabitha that she wasn't always like this. She said that Louise used to be more aggressive against her bullying, but now…" Avalon sighed. "Now it's like she's given up. I don't know what to do."

"Avalon, I understand that you're worried about her, but this is something Louise needs to confront herself. Bullying is more than just the physical, Louise especially. She's been mentally tortured ever since she had her first miscast, and is more likely weary than not of it all."

"So you heard from Siesta, too, eh?" Avalon sighed as he sat down beside her. "I just… I feel so helpless watching her like this. I want to do something to make her feel better. But she's been more closed off than usual. I think it has something to do with our training together."

"You think that teaching her magic was wrong?"

"No, I don't. But she's taking it in a way I didn't expect. I thought she would be overjoyed about being able to learn it. Now it's like she wished she never knew at all."

Placing an arm around his shoulders, Sasha gently pulled her son into a hug. His body slumped in her grip.

"Don't worry. She will come through. Believe in her. Underneath it all, she's a strong willed girl. She just needs time to sort herself out. This is new to her, and confronting one's feelings is never easy."

Avalon nodded. "I hope you're right."

-Finish the Fight-

 _Look, its Louise the Zero!_

 _Watch out, she might blow you up! That's all your good for, isn't it?!_

" _Louise the zero! Zero chest, zero grades, and zero friends!"_

Louise slowly opened her eyes as she was once again pulled out her dream. She placed a hand on her head, feeling drained.

"Again… huh?" she whispered to herself. "Honestly, I'm getting tired of seeing that dream."

Pushing herself up from her bed, she slowly prepared herself for the day. She combed her hair, dressed herself, and haphazardly fixed her sheets. As she did so, Avalon knocked at her door, his timing impeccable.

"Louise, it's me. Are you ready?"

Opening the door, Louise stared blankly at Avalon's cheeky smile. In his hands was a basket filled with baked bread and fruits. The smell made her stomach growl.

"Avalon, it's the weekend. I'm sore and tired from yesterday. Can we please not practice today?"

"Oh, I know. That's what this is for." He held up the basket. "I figured you could use some sunshine, so I had Siesta prepare us some food. Now come on!" Avalon grabbed her arm before she could protest, pulling her out of her room and down the hall. Louise sighed, wanting to sleep some more, but she had automatically prepared herself on accident anyway, so she figured it would be fine to eat outside for a change of pace.

The pair settled at a table set up in the south-western courtyard of the main entrance. It was close by and empty, which Louise was greatly thankful for. They ate their meal in silence.

"Guiche, there you are, I was—what is the meaning of this? Were those rumours about you and the first year true?!"

A stern, female voice cut through their peaceful brunch. Louise turned to the main doors to see Montmorency, Guiche's declared fiancée, growling through her teeth, her blue eyes flashing dangerously. Guiche and Katie stood some feet away from her, caught holding each other from the looks of things, frozen and terrified. Guiche immediately let go and pushed Katie aside with a rough shove. She fell back, shocked beyond words.

"No, no, dear Montmorency, those are just baseless accusations! I cannot lie in front of your eyes, your love and beauty are too precious to me for such acts of detriment," he declared with a flourish of his arms, his voice confident and loud. His words made Montmorency blush and Katie pause. Avalon groaned with disgust.

"W-What are you talking about, Guiche? Didn't you want to try my Soufflé? I made a basket just for you!" Katie raised the basket on the floor beside her. Guiche vehemently shook his head.

"I do not know what you are talking about, first-year. I don't even know your name!"

"This asshole...! How dare he!" Avalon stood up, but Katie acted before Avalon could, rising to her feet and approaching Guiche with slow steps. Louise watched with disinterest, something about Katie's attitude greatly irritating her.

 _What are you doing? Stand up for yourself!_

"G-Guiche, I don't understand! What's wrong?! It's me, Katie," she cried out, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice hitching with a deep sadness. As she drew closer to Guiche, Montmorency interfered, moving in front of Katie and slapping away the basket in her hands with a loud _smack!_ Katie lost her balance from the force of the blow, falling on her behind in an undignified manner. Avalon moved to her side, crouching protectively over her as Montmorency approached. Louise sighed in frustration, moving from her seat as well.

"You, you're Louise the zero's familiar," said Montmorency. Avalon either ignored her or was too angry to care.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he shouted as Louise approached. Montmorency scoffed.

"What's wrong?! I'll tell you what's wrong! Blame this little trash-born slut! How dare a low-class noble like you, try to seduce my man?!" Montmorency roared. Katie let out another squeak as Montmorency completely on Katie. Katie's eyes began to well up, and she began shaking her head. "No, you're wrong… Guiche said he loved me, that we would be together forever…!"

Louise felt disgusted. How could she be so pathetic, so weak, so helpless?

It irritated her to no end.

"Is that true, Guiche?!" At her words, Montmorency turned to Guiche once more.

"N-No my dear! I would never cheat on you willingly! She—she used love potions on me, conjured by her brothers and sisters!"

A quiet gasp came from Montmorency's lips. Louise sighed. That was dangerous territory.

"That's a blind accusation! Where's your proof that she, a first-year, could even make such a thing?!" Avalon cried out in Katie's defense. Montmorency stilled at his words, seeking clarification from Guiche. He chuckled nervously but didn't lose himself.

"Katie's family is well known for having a long line of water mages, commoner. They could easily acquire the ingredients necessary for it!" Montmorency muttered in agreement, making Avalon seethe. Katie burst into tears, saying it wasn't true. Avalon silently took the girl into his arms. Katie didn't fight, weeping loudly into his clothes.

Having had enough, Louise stepped between Montmorency and Avalon.

"Alright, that's enough. It's not even noon yet and you two are already bickering." Louise met Montmorency with a steady, indifferent glare.

"Hmph, well if it isn't Louise the zero. I should have expected such weak control over your familiar. Pull him aside, I have unfinished business with her!" Montmorency pointed vehemently at Katie.

"If any of it were true, I would, but your _boyfriend_ is obviously a lying cheat! He's manipulating you like he did Katie! Don't fall for his cheap one liner's, you deserve better than a worm like him!" Louise crossed her arms and glared at Guiche accusingly. Montmorency seemed to waver ever so slightly, but Guiche had a completely different reaction.

"How dare you!" Guiche cried out, his face red with embarrassment. "So this is the kindness I get for treating you with grace? You really are nothing but a zero! Always destroying school property, you aren't even worth calling a student at this prestigious academy! You may have fooled Osmond, Colbert, and our fellow classmates, but not me! I see you for what you really are; you're nothing but liars and tricksters! Both you, and Katie!"

Guiche grinned desperately. "You know, I just realized; the rumor that you summoned an elf was probably fake too, wasn't it? Just another ruse fabricated by the delicate zero! How low will you go just to prove that you are a mage?! You're nothing, zero, and you always will be!"

Louise trembled in anger as her shoulders slumped. She didn't know why she was feeling so, normally she would just be able to brush it off. Maybe it was because she just ate. Maybe it was because of her dream. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because of Katie.

Louise realized the moment she saw her that she saw herself in her; the helplessness, the clamouring, the need to feel appreciated. She just didn't want to admit it. She had been alone for so long, and when she finally proved herself by completing her summon, she was overjoyed Avalon dangled the opportunity of a lifetime in front of her, a chance to teach her what she had been searching for so long, and she took it without hesitation.

But she still messed up. She had given up on herself, but Avalon hadn't given up on her.

It was time to change that.

"You right; ever since I was born, I haven't been able to cast magic. Because of that, I was put through rigorous training by my family, my mother in particular, and was studied by numerous mages from across the continent, to see what was wrong with me. But they could never find out anything. As a last resort, my family sent me here." she growled, radiating intent. "I studied as hard as I could. I did everything I possibly think of, and read through every book in the library twice to see if I could find what was wrong with me. But nothing changed; never once have I been able to cast a spell properly. Everything I did just ends up exploding. But my summoning changed that. Avalon changed that! Yet you dare, you dare to call the one spell, the one thing I've done right in my entire life, the one person who gave me hope—a lie?!"

"And what about Katie?! She gave herself to you, and you threw her away like she was just another used tissue! You call me a liar, but what about you, huh?! What happened to all the promises and sweet words you whispered to this poor girl? If there's one thing that I hate more than myself, its people who throw others away like useless trash!"

Involuntarily, Guiche and Montmorency clung to each other, stepping back at Louise's cold fury. Her eyes burned with an intense hatred and her body pored with sinister intent.

"That's right, cowards! Be afraid! We won't tolerate your bullying any longer, and if you truly think that I did not summon an elf, then you're free to duel her and her son at your leisure! They will destroy you without a second thought!" Louise raised her hand, pointing at the two intently. She intended to order Avalon to teach them a lesson, but it seemed he was ahead of her. Already, he was moving.

"Arc Blast."

The lightning came down, inches from their faces. Montmorency and Guiche screamed as they were blinded by the sudden light, falling flat onto their behinds. They clenched their eyes shut, momentarily opening them to see Avalon kneeling just in front of where they stood moments before, the ground scorched black and a deadly looking blue spear stabbed into the ground. He watched over them impassively. Yet, they could tell that he was furious.

"Spread the word. Anyone who insults Louise and Katie, no, anyone who dares to insult those who cannot help themselves, be it nobles or servants, will have to deal with me!" He stood up and pointed his weapon between their eyes. "I will personally hunt each and every one of you down."

The two ran away, screaming.

Avalon sighed, dismissing his weapon. Louise walked up to Katie, who was still on the floor, amazed and very slightly afraid. She extended her hand.

"Can you stand up?"

Looking dumbly between her hand and his face, Katie took it, smiling.

-Finish the Fight-

It was a five days since their confrontation with Guiche. The trio had become more relaxed around each other. Well, Avalon and Katie did. Louise was still having trouble opening up, but it was slow progress. She felt exposed and embarrassed after emotional outburst, but the other two didn't say anything about it. In the end, they had fallen into a new routine; after training with his mother in the morning, Avalon would wake Louise up and the three would meet up at the doors of the Alviss dining hall. The three would then sit together as Louise and Katie ate their food, offering Avalon some on occasion.

"So… Louise, what is your family like?" Katie asked as they ate. Louise bit back a sigh as she cut up another piece of beef.

"I'm curious as well, Louise. You never talk about them," said Avalon.

"Yeah, come on! Avalon has already talked a bunch about his mom, and she's so nice! What about you?"

"You know, both of you shared a very irritating trait of asking a lot of questions. But fair's fair, I suppose. My father is a Duke, one of the leading powers in Tristain's government and military, although he's retired now. My eldest sister, Eleanor, is the leading wind mage of Halkeginia's royal research division. My second eldest sister, Cattleya, was supposed to be the leader of the earth division, but she came down with an illness several years ago and hasn't been well since. She's still alive, but any strenuous activity is very difficult for her body to handle…" Louise let her voice die out, not wanting to speak any more about the subject. Katie, unfortunately, didn't seem to notice the heavy tone.

"What about your mother? Is she alive?"

"Yes, she's alive." She didn't say any more, and Katie finally got the hint, backing off the questions. Avalon thought it curious. Who was Louise's mother?

"W-wow, your family is really amazing… nothing like mine," Katie mumbled, staring down at her food quietly. I stopped chewing, taking a moment to look at the sad expression on her face. "My family is very poor, you know. My father is a baron, the fifth son in his family, so he didn't really get much inheritance. My mother… well, she's very strict."

"I can relate, to be honest. My mother is strict too." Louise contributed, hoping to alleviate the girl's depression somewhat. She didn't feel the need to, but it was the right thing to do. Avalon nodded as well.

"Same here. Yeah, my mom can be great and really nice at times, but when she's angry, you won't like her when she's angry.

Katie laughed. "I see. My mother… well, my parents didn't marry for love, actually. From what I've heard, my grandfather had given my father as a diplomatic gesture to a family friend, the Antoine's. I think he was hoping that the marriage would help our family with the financial situation. It did, in a sense, but with the recent war in Albion, things have been very tense at home… My mother is used to living in wealth, so when my father sold our possessions to pay for the increased taxes, she got very mad."

Louise couldn't help but stop eating.

"I've heard of the Antoine's. They're a well-respected middle class family on the eastern side of Tristain, famous for their strong wind mages." Louise answered Avalon's questioning gaze. Although they weren't as wealthy as Louise's own family, (being related to the crown helped greatly) they were still well off. Katie's family was married into the Antoine's own? Strange, she hadn't heard of that at all.

 _But maybe it's because its Katie's family I haven't heard of it…_

"I'm sorry," Louise said automatically. Katie seemed happy with it, giving her a thankful smile.

"Don't worry about it. They were able to send me here, so I've got to do my best and help support my family—"

"Hey… what's Katie doing with the zero?"

"You idiot, haven't you heard?!"

Though Louise and Avalon managed to ignore them, keeping their eyes on their food, Katie couldn't help but let her gaze snap up towards the voices. It was a group of first years from the table across from us, their voices now hushed whispers. They snuck glances every now and again, the looks on their faces obviously surprised and a little disgusted.

Katie rose from her seat, but Louise grabbed her hand.

"Just leave them be. It's fine, and it's easier to ignore them."

Katie stared at Louise for a few moments, before dismissing her comment entirely. Avalon chuckled.

"Say, Louise, do you want to go shopping tomorrow?"

Louise couldn't help but jump in her seat at the volume of her voice. She practically shouted. The entire dining hall became silent as all eyes fell upon Louise, Avalon and Katie. She started to panic, not wanting the attention.

"W-What? No, I," Louise began, sweating. But Katie didn't give up.

"Oh, come on, don't be like that! Think of it as a good bonding opportunity! We're friends after all!"

The entire room froze, but Katie kept smiling through it. Her eyes shined as if she expected Louise to say yes. She extended her hand. Louise stared at the extended limb, her face hot slightly, unsure of what to do.

She was always Louise the zero. Zero magical aptitude. Zero breasts. Zero success rate.

Zero friends.

It was easy to ignore, but sometimes when she was by herself, she would catch herself watching others. She would watch them exchange words and laughter, enjoying each other's company. She would hear the girls talk about the latest fashions and rumours, and the boys talk about the prettiest girls of the academy. But worst of all, she would see the couples, holding hands, kissing, hugging, and eating together. It made her sick. It made her angry. It made her sad, because she knew that she wouldn't have those things.

She was Louise the zero because she had nothing.

Louise reached out, her hand moving ever so slowly. Katie's smile widened as their hands came closer, but before their fingers could touch, Louise hesitated. Cold sweat trickled down the side of her face as she fell into a trance.

She knew she was being irrational, but she couldn't help herself. What if this was a trick? What if she was only going to pretend to be her friend? What if this was a ploy to humiliate her, give her a chance to prove to those gossiping bastards that she wasn't what they thought she was? What if this was a plot to make her feel sorry for her, and share her family's wealth and power with Katie's? What if—

A strong hand came down on Louise's back, knocking her forward and nearly out of her chair. "Ow! Who did that?!" Louise cried out reflexively, turning around. She froze when her eyes met with Kirche's, of all people. Tabitha stood behind her with a book in hand, as usual, but her eyes were not on its pages. They were on Kirche's back. Louise was about to retort, but the serious look on Kirche's face made her pause. Never before had Louise seen Kirche with an expression like this.

"I'm only going to say this once. Stop being a loner and go with her. It'll do you some good to get out and stop cooping yourself up with Avalon in the forest all the time." A small, teasing grin spread across her lips. "Although, I can understand why you would want him for yourself. Your familiar is quite the dashing man."

"W-w-w-what?!" Louise stuttered. _She of all people is telling me to stop being a loner? I was practically a loner because of her_! Before she could continue, Kirche cut her off.

"Look, I know we aren't friends; I don't like you, and you don't like me. But, just once, please listen to me and go with her. If you let this go, you will regret it for the rest of your life." A sly smile spread across her face. "But if you really don't want to, you can say no, and we can go back to the way things were. Your shouting and my teasing you to get you out of that dull, depressed shell of yours."

Louise couldn't help but gape. That's why she teased her constantly? To get emotions out of her?! Louise felt furious, ready to shout, but Avalon's hand came on her shoulder, the grin on his face telling her that was exactly what Kirche was hoping for. Her words echoed in Louise's mind, and after a long while, she sighed, turning to Katie. Katie extended her retracted hand.

"Friends?" Katie said.

Louise shook her head with a sigh, a smile slowly growing on her face. A heavy weight lifted itself off her shoulders as she took Katie's hand.

"Friends."


	8. Sincerely Yours

Finish the Fight Chapter 5: Sincerely yours

Henrietta sighed. She had been doing that a lot lately. She began tapping her fingers on her lap, becoming slightly impatient. This meeting was getting nowhere.

"Please, your majesty, this is a great matter of concern! We must retaliate against Albion at once!" The bishop Mazarin wiped his head with a handkerchief, his eyes bloodshot and exhausted. In his hand was a letter that had been received just hours earlier, which was the current topic of the meeting.

"You don't actually believe this nonsense, do you? Commoners learning magic? That's impossible!" cried out the royal messenger, and the deliverer of the letter, Count Mott. He crossed his arms, a stubborn expression on his face. It did seem rather impossible. But Henrietta knew that this source could be trusted.

It was, after all, from the prince of Albion, Wales Tudor, himself.

"Are you saying that the Prince of Albion is not to be trusted? That he would stoop to lies? No, we can trust him. However, we simply do not have the force necessary to fight against Albion! We would be destroyed!"

"Which is why we need the alliance with Germania! Surely presenting the princess as a token to them would give us the edge we need!"

Both the royal messenger and the bishop quieted at the dark glare that was directed at them by the young man across the table. He wore simple light brown trousers, with a dark red shirt and signature, tattered black cape, bearing the royal family insignia. His wand-sword sat on his hip, within easy reach. Running his hands through his short, dark purple hair, he stood from his seat, the young prince of Tristain slammed his hands down on the table.

"My sister is not a tool to be used in such a way!" Henrietta, however, waved him off.

"Little brother, please, I am very well capable of making my own decisions." Henrietta motioned for her brother to sit down, and he did so grudgingly. Sighing once again, Henrietta took the letter from the bishop, her eyes flickering across the letter with a slight hint of worry. She knew the risk that came with Germania's alliance, but she also wanted to help Wales as soon as possible. She truly was trapped in a corner. Still…

"I will think about the alliance with Germania. But for now, we will disclose this matter until further notice. Do NOT speak of this to anyone." Henrietta then turned to her brother, saying, "Henry, may we speak alone?"

With the meeting concluded, the two old men left their charges, worried expressions on their faces. Henrietta watched them go, giving a small, considerate smile to Mazarin, who returned it. Agnes, Henrietta's personal guard, opened the doors as they exited, closing it firmly behind her.

"It didn't go well huh?" said the young, blonde swordswoman. Henry sighed.

"About as well as expected."

"It has always been this way, little brother. Though I can't speak for the Count, Mazarin means well and has guided our father with good judgement. We can trust him! "

"I know, I know. The Cardinal is indeed very wise, although I wouldn't say he makes good company. Ah, I miss the old days, when it was just you, Louise and I." Turning towards Agnes as he stood, Henry bowed. "Even the lovely Agnes and her sour puss attitude is more interesting."

"Well, I'm glad that I could be of service. If you ever require my sword, I'll be happy to shove it up your-"

"Agnes! Please refrain from such language in front of our future king!" Henrietta said wildly, a panicked expression on her face. Henry laughed loudly, waving his arms at Agnes dismissively. Agnes let out a crooked grin.

"There you go again, with all of that ridiculous décor! Annie, you hate the royal titles just as much as I do; so just use my name. I may be the next in line for the throne, but I haven't even been ordained yet! Besides, no matter what anyone may say, we both know Agnes is the most capable swordsman in our command. A little friendly banter now and again won't hurt, especially not when she can back it up."

"Your words humble me, my prince. By the way, the score is still 10-0, in my favour."

"Hah! You, humble? Now there's the turn of the century. What was it that you said? A stable girl would do a better job of milking my-"

"B-B-B-BROTHER!"

The conversation continued, Agnes and Henry playfully teasing each other, with Henrietta in the middle, red as a tomato and unsure of what to do besides flail her arms. Even after two years, she still couldn't understand how the two became so close. She was a bit jealous.

"Ah, but I have matters to attend to. More meetings, more shaking of hands, more ass kissing and the like. Please be safe my sister. Rest well, and don't worry about Wales; everything will be fine." Kissing his sister's cheek, Henry was about to leave, but a thoughtful expression stopped him.

"Say, isn't the familiar's festival coming up soon? Why don't you go visit Louise? It may help take your mind off of things. I can keep everyone else busy while you're gone." With a wink, he left the two alone, Henrietta watching her brother's back. She had always done that. Despite being the younger sibling, Henry was always one step ahead of her, as if he knew that the next corner would be their destination. She greatly admired him for that.

And that idea of his seemed splendid…

"Agnes?" Henrietta looked at her faithful guard. She nodded, understanding, and without a word, the two headed out.

-Finish the Fight-

Fouquet watched her assignment from the headmaster's office, just as she has always done every morning since she and her son appeared. They had a routine; every morning, before sunrise, they would duel, and quite spectacularly, she might add. Being able to witness elven magic of this caliber made her shiver with delight and fear.

When finished, the son would go to his master, and the mother would go with the maid, Siesta. She had taken note of that and raised the pay of several maids and servants so that they would report to her, expressing an interest in the female elf, yet not having the means to speak often because of her position as the headmaster's secretary. They complied with little complaint, and the stories that she had heard were… almost beautiful, in a strange way.

The elf was wise. That was definitely not surprising. But her understanding went well beyond what Fouquet expected, and in two days she was easily the most popular person amongst the servants, showered with praise the following days. She had taught the servants new agricultural techniques for the fields, new cooking and preservation techniques and recipes for the kitchens, and spent her time helping the servants with her own two hands. There were even rumors she was in the process of making machines for the commoners with Professor Colbert, who had become ecstatic since. Seeing an elf perform manual labor was an almost frightening thought, as Fouquet was so used to mages using magic for everything. Surely the elves would be the same?

Apparently, she was wrong.

Fouquet sighed. This was all well and good, but she was hoping that she could hear more about her magic and it's potential. She had asked Professor Colbert about it, and although he gave her a basic understanding of spiritual magic, it did not give her the full scope. She didn't like that. She needed to know everything she could to prepare for stealing the staff of destruction, because if she got in the way, she would not survive. She needed a plan.

Something that would enable her to get the staff, but at the same time, not attract attention to the elf. Something that would open the doors to the vault she had yet to break into. The magic on it was too strong, and only the headmaster knew the spell to open it. She could torture him for it, but she knew the Headmaster long enough to know he would resist until the end.

A plan formed in her mind, and Fouquet grinned savagely.

-Finish the Fight-

"Oh dear, it looks like I've gone too far again."

Louise looked back and forth between the unconscious Avalon and his smug mother, not sure what to say. She felt like she should be laughing, but the unexpectedness of it all just kept her in silence. Sasha and Avalon had just finished training together, Avalon wanting to show Louise a bit of his skills, ending in a spectacular defeat. Sasha did not hold back on him.

"Is… Is he going to be alright?" Louise looked over Avalon, seeing the small bruise forming on his head. Sasha let out a small chuckle.

"Don't worry, this is very normal. Siesta!" With a whoosh of air, the maid appeared, a bucket filled with water in her hands. She held out the bucket, saying with a smile, "Here you go Miss Sasha!" Sasha took the bucket with a thank you, and was about to pour its contents on Avalon's head, but stopped.

"Louise, would you like to do the honors?" Louise looked up at her, taking the bucket after a moment's hesitance. She then promptly poured the water, laughing a moment later as Avalon shot up sputtering.

"Oh, come on mom! It's enough that you embarrass me in front of my friends, now you have them in on your shenanigans?" Avalon moaned, drying himself. Louise laughed harder. She didn't expect this from elves. Being raised and told that elves were dangerous creatures, seeing them go about life like any other person just made her giggle. Sasha puffed out her chest, her hands on her hips.

"Why, dearest Avalon, there is no greater joy for a mother than to embarrass their children. Speaking of such, would you like to hear some embarrassing stories about Avalon's childhood? Why, there was one time where—"

Louise, unable to control herself, fell onto her backside with laughter as Avalon turned red, shouting a resounding "Oh come on!" Siesta joined in as well, giving Avalon a towel. He thanked her, though it was a useless gesture, he didn't want to offend her. He wiped himself off then dried the rest with magic.

"Thanks Siesta," said Avalon. She smiled in response.

"Don't worry about Miss Sasha. She loves you very much, and is quick to boast to the other servants about you," she whispered. Pausing for a moment, Avalon smiled.

"Thank you." Turning back to the still laughing Louise, Avalon tried to calm her down, with little success. Siesta and Sasha watched from the side.

"So what's this about a familiar's festival I've been hearing about?" Sasha asked Siesta.

"Oh! It's an exhibition of sorts, a few days from now. Everyone is very excited especially since Princess Henrietta will be attending!" She clapped her hands with joy.

"Princess Henrietta?"

"Yes, she is the princess of Halkeginia. She's a very beautiful person, and very respected among the people. Her and her younger brother, Prince Henry, have been working hard to keep the people safe and happy."

"Ah, I would love to meet them, if given the chance. Where Avalon and I come from, there is little to no royalty."

"Oh really, why?" Siesta asked, intrigued.

"The laws simply changed. We used to have a nobility system, but over time we realized the futility of such things, as we are immortal. Rulers would get tired of all the governing, money has little meaning to us, and eventually we moved to a democratic system, where the people vote for those who should watch over the country."

"Really? That amazing! Here, Princess Henrietta and Prince Henry have been the symbol of peace to the citizens ever since His Majesty passed away. With Prince Henry taking up the throne, they've been seen less and less together. Princess Henrietta is the one who usually handle the public affairs now."

"I see."

"Yes, we are also in a big hurry preparing for her arrival. So, I'll be going then!"

"Alright, I'll see you at the ceremony!" Sasha waved goodbye, but before she went too far, she turned.

"Avalon, please make sure you do your best!" Stopping his conversation with Louise, Avalon looked over at Siesta, waving his hand.

"No problem!"

After the usual day of classes and training, Louise, Avalon and Sasha settled into her room.

"How is her progress?" Sasha asked Avalon as Louise changed. Avalon hummed in thought.

"She's getting better at controlling her ether, for sure. It's a slow process though. She'll need more time to… accept her fears." Louise looked around the corner of her closet door.

"Well, I'm sorry I'm slowing down things," she said sarcastically. Avalon waved her off.

"Come on, don't be like that. This isn't something that can be solved in a day. For now, we'll just continue working on meditation before we move onto manipulation." Avalon was about to continue, but a knock on the door stopped him.

"Who could be here at this hour?" Louise asked, and went to open the door. Just as she did, a hooded figure burst in, another, taller one close behind. Metal clinked, and Avalon discerned the sword on the taller one's hip. Louise took out her wand reflexively, surprised, while Avalon and Sasha both prepared fire and ice magic respectively in their hands. They could sense the magic of the shorter one.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Louise demanded. The shorter one was about to speak, but the taller one immediately drew out their sword, swinging it at Sasha.

"Mom!" Avalon shouted, intercepting the blade with a barrier spell. The tall figure let out a cry of surprise, before Avalon blasted her in the chest with a highly concentrated pulse of ether, knocking her off her feet and into the wall, knocking the wind out of the female, he assumed from her voice. Avalon scrambled for the sword and was about to attack, but the shorter one stood between them.

"W-Wait! We mean you no harm!" The figure immediately took off her hood, revealing a very beautiful and fair face. Her shoulder length hair was purple, her eyes a deep, ocean blue. Avalon was almost stunned, but the idea that it could be a trap kept him focused.

"P-P-P-Princess Henrietta?!" Louise shouted. Avalon and Sasha's gazes snapped to her.

"This is the princess?!" Avalon exclaimed. The grounded figure struggled to get up.

"P-Princess, run, it's too dangerous," growled the grounded figure. However, the princess refused to move.

"Please… we mean you no harm. Forgive my guard, but we came here to see my childhood friend. We did not expect to see an elf here…"

There was a short tension in the air before Louise nodded, and Avalon and Sasha lowered their hands. Sasha took the chance to speak first.

"Please forgive us, Princess. We merely moved to defend ourselves."

"There is nothing to forgive, for you were in the right. Although, Louise, if you could explain?" Looking towards her, Louise then explained what had happened during the familiar's summoning ritual.

"Incredible… to summon an elf's son as your familiar! I always knew you were amazing, Louise!" Giving her friend a hug, Avalon, Sasha, and the newly introduced Agnes took a seat at the table. As the two talked on their own, Agnes eyed Avalon and Sasha.

"I apologize for my actions. I only did what I thought necessary to protect the princess." Sasha waved her off.

"It is as your princess said, and you acted remarkably fast, Agnes. You take your duty very seriously, and you should be proud of that." Agnes nodded, though the tension in her shoulders did not ease. Sasha chuckled.

"I understand if you feel the need to be cautious around one such as I, though. So feel free to ask your questions." Agnes then proceeded to ask about her background, which Sasha freely answered. Her story was the same as what she gave Osmond.

After another moment of silence, Agnes spoke.

"Are you a threat to my princess?"

Sasha was about to reply, but Henrietta stopped her conversation with Louise.

"Please, Agnes! That is no way to treat another person!" Sasha smiled at Henrietta's words, but shook her head.

"Do not worry, princess. She has every right to perform her duty to the best of her ability. Eliminating unknowns is part of the process." Agnes nodded in approval, a slight glint of respect growing in her eyes. "But to answer your question, no, I am not a threat, and am willing to participate in helping Tristain reach higher heights of prosperity. In fact, Professor Colbert and I are developing some machinery that I think would be of great benefit to this nation."

"Ah, is that so? I would like to see it when it's completed." Henrietta then walked over to Avalon, who, unsure where to look, kept his eyes on her face. She was very pretty though.

"And you are Louise's familiar, yes? Please continue to take care of my friend." Taking his hands in hers, Henrietta sighed. "She means much to me."

"Don't worry, princess. I will do everything I can to help her." Henrietta smiled.

Finally, the princess rose.

"I have to go now Louise, but this was the most fun I had in years," she smiled brightly. "Good luck with the festival Louise, Miss Sasha, sir Avalon." But as they were about to leave, Sasha, raised her hand, stopping the pair. Avalon's eyes raised up.

"Do you sense that, Avalon?" He nodded, Louise looking between the two in confusion. Sasha and Avalon's eyes met, and as Sasha nodded, Avalon moved to the window, opening it and jumping out. Henrietta let out a cry of surprise.

"What's the matter?" Agnes demanded. Sasha grimaced.

"Trouble."

-Finish the Fight-

Osmond was getting too old for this.

"You're absolutely sure of this? Oh dear, this could be the single greatest disaster I have ever faced."

"We can't be sure if Fouquet has stolen everything. The seal on the vault had been enhanced by every generation of teachers here! How did she manage to break in?!"

"We don't have time to worry about that, we must hurry! The letter bore the same signature that was left at every heist Fouquet had ever done, I'm sure it was his!" added Miss Longueville with urgency in her voice. The trio rushed down the hallways, towards the vault that kept the Staff of Destruction.

Though he was sure that it was something that he wouldn't be able to use, if Fouquet managed to learn how the staff worked… The thought of lives at stake quickened his pace.

Soon, the trio reached the doors, short of breath. Osmond took the time to breathe, his body no longer able to handle the stress. His secretary leaned against the far wall, and Professor Colbert, clearly the fittest of them, waited with impatient understanding.

"Osmond, I know you are tired, but please, we must hurry!" said Colbert. He nodded.

"Remind me to move the vault closer to my office." With a raise of his staff, Osmond muttered the ancient rite that had been passed onto him from the previous headmaster; it was a spell from a forgotten language, used by the ancient people of Brimir; the ancestor language of modern halkeginian. He concentrated solely on the door, allowing the magic to surge forth from his staff and strike the doors. With the seal undone, the doors groaned as they pulled themselves open, revealing the treasure vault.

"W-What?! The treasure is still here?!"

Osmond didn't have time to react. Before he realized it, the floor fissured open underneath their feet, each of them crying out in surprise as they fell. Colbert managed to catch himself from falling too deep, though not before losing his staff. The ground Colbert used to hold himself up became sand, and he let out a choked cry as he sank. The sand then hardened, capsuling itself around him and Colbert, leaving only their noses and up exposed. He tried to shout for help, but the ground kept his words from reaching even his own ears.

Clapping, followed by footsteps and female laughter made his eyes widen. It had to be Fouquet! They were set up!

"My, my, my, what a predicament we have ourselves in." Fouquet stood above Osmond, although he couldn't see past her thighs. She was wearing white leggings and high knee riding boots. "And here I thought I would have to go through much more trouble to get this vault open. Yet you fell for my trap like moths to a flame! Ah, the thrill of success never gets old.

Osmond tried to identify her voice, but something was wrong with it. There were multiple, strange overlays of tones that hid her voice completely. Who was this woman? Fouquet crouched down, and Osmond was able to get a better look at her. She wore a black and gray tunic, belts and buckles holding various pouches strapped to her ample bosom. Over her shoulders was a dark mantle, a hood over her head and a blank, white mask over her face. He would have commented had he not been shut up, despite the circumstances. He could tell from her eyes alone that she was very beautiful.

"I must thank that girl for summoning an elf. Its presence had forced me to change my plans, and quite frankly, the challenge made for a wonderful thrill." Standing up again, Fouquet pulled out a black, thin wand, and with a wave, golems of stone rose from the ground, sealing the treasures inside their bodies before proceeding out of the school. Osmond couldn't help but watch, shame filling his heart. He had failed.

Fouquet proceeded into the vault, and later came out with the Staff of Destruction. The red shaft was five feet in length, covered in a black script that Osmond didn't recognize. A double edged, three foot blade was firmly attached to the end of it, the lower portion serrated into teeth. More golems proceeded to take treasure.

"Finally, I have it at last, the staff of destruction. With this I can…"

"ARC BLAST!"

Thunder boomed, and lightning struck where Fouquet stood moments before. Osmond let out a shout as he felt himself get a heart attack, though he recognized the voice. It Avalon boy? But how did he…?

"Tch, you came a lot faster than I expected. Although I assumed that your mother would be the one to show up, boy. Get out of my way!"

Osmond immediately closed his eyes as a sand storm blew, and when he opened his eyes, Fouquet was gone. He heard Avalon curse, before rushing to him.

"Blink twice if I should go after her."

He blinked twice, and Avalon was gone.


	9. The Staff of Destruction Part 1

Finish the Fight 6 - The Staff of Destruction Part 1

AN: Sorry if this is short. It has been too long since I updated so I just decided to upload what I have. I may upload shorter chapters but more frequently in the future.

There was the thrill of the escape.

She loved it when her plans came to fruition. The idea that she had outwitted her enemies, evaded her pursuers, and successfully completed her mission gave her a rush that nothing else could compare to. Many times she had completed her missions like a ghost, moving in and out of territory with nobody the wiser. Sometimes she was forced to act, and had to leave a trail that would throw off her trackers. Yet every time, she succeeded. Now would be no different. She just needed a plan.

Growling as her golem pushed through the tornado spell, she turned her head, and saw Avalon and the dangerous blue light emanating from him in the distance. A slight wave of panic hit her, but she remained calm; losing to her emotions would gain her nothing. She urged her Golem to move faster. But a rainstorm of ice from the dragon rider above prevented her from progressing safely. Blue lightning pierced the air behind her with a shrill cry, blazing brilliantly as it impossibly arced beautifully, before coming down like wrath from the heavens. On instinct she fortified her defenses, sunk into her golem, and waited for the thick earth would protect her.

What she had not expected was for the lightning to easily pierce through her golem, rending it in two. Fouquet ejected herself from her golem, growling in annoyance. As she landed on the grassy plains, she had already prepared another spell. A wall of rock emerged from the ground, protecting her from the icicles as Avalon tried to flank her. The two worked in an unusually expert manner; Tabitha provided back up support, keeping Fouquet on the move, while Avalon pushed the offense, not allowing her to retaliate. Switching plans yet again, Fouquet rended the ground beneath Avalon's feet useless by causing it to crumble. He jumped high into the air, aided by his strange magic, and landed on the dragon above, giving her a moment to run and think. Using the open plains to her advantage, Fouquet transformed for path to dirt, and rode a simple stone platform across it, using her earth magic to propel herself forward. She closed in on the forest as she evaluated herself; she was livid that two measly children had managed to keep her, Fouquet, on the defensive! If it were anyone else, she would have gotten away by now!

No. She could not be caught here. She had to escape, so she could finally receive justice.

Looking down at the Staff of Destruction in her hands, she contemplated her options. She didn't want to use it so early, but they were leaving her no choice. Preparing a trap would be best. She chanted her words of power, focusing her willpower on the staff in her hands. She then slammed the staff into the ground, allowing the staff to drag across the ground.

Nothing happened.

"W-What? But that's impossible! Isn't it supposed to...?"

Looking up, she heard the sound of flapping wings, still far off. They were getting closer, and she had no time.

With a concerned grunt, Fouquet entered the forest, leaving the other treasures to her golems. They would take care of it.

"Sneaky witch. I can't believe I kept missing! She was really good," Avalon huffed.

"Which way?" Tabitha continued, focusing on the path ahead.

Trusting his mother's training, Avalon enhanced his senses, giving him a sonar like perception of his surroundings. It was dark to the naked eye, and although the moon gave him about a full moon's worth of light, it wasn't enough for him to keep track with Fouquet. There was too much thick foliage, the branches thick and their trunks even thicker. She was moving fast, much faster than he anticipated. Not only that, but something about this forest radiated with so much aura. He could feel it in all the life and plants and trees that resided here, and while that wasn't a surprise, it was the air. It was filled with aura, pressing down on him like gravity, giving him a dark sense of foreboding. He didn't like it. He wanted to catch her and be done with it.

"West, towards the forest. Take Sylphid lower."

Soaring above the tree line, Avalon kept a firm tracking on Fouquet.

"Come on, witch! We can do this the easy way, or the fun way! Take your pick!" Avalon shouted. His voice reverberated loudly, much more so than Tabitha knew was possible. Preparing a wind spell, she waited for Fouquet to answer.

"Well aren't you the energetic one? Why don't we do this the fun way then? I could teach you many things, boy! You're quite my type, you know." Fouquet taunted, her voice carried by Tabitha's magic. She immediately switched to ice, shooting at the source of Fouquet's voice, but hit nothing. "Ah, ah, ah! Did you expect it to be that easy?"

"Not really. But it doesn't hurt to try. You know what they say; Anything easily gained is worth northing!"

Calling his weapon into his hands, Avalon raised his spear. Electricity began to crackle around his weapon, charging with a dangerous hum. He then aimed for where Fouquet was, but something was strange; there were multiple sources of her.

And they were splitting off into different directions.

"Shit, she cloned herself! I can't tell which one is the real one!"

"Advanced... Perhaps wind magic?"

"Wait, what about wind magic?"

"Can you use wind magic?" Tabitha repeated, rolling her eyes. Avalon thought for a moment.

"I can do basic spells, but I'm not good at it... same with water and earth. Fire is my specialty."

"Good enough. Speed Sylphid."

Securing a hand around Tabitha's waist, Avalon used Gungnir as a foci to cast a speed boosting spell on Sylphid. Tabitha did the same, and Sylphid rocketed forward, Avalon barely able to keep his eyes open.

"Fly!" He heard Tabitha's voice, despite the blowing wind in his ears. Tabitha removed Avalon's hand from her waist, keeping a firm grip on his arm.

"What?! I can't hear-whoa, whoa, WHOA NOT COOOOOOL!"

With strength far surpassing her physique, Tabitha threw Avalon off Sylphid, towards one of the clones in the forest. Everything was spinning, but he managed to right himself, weapon in hand. Oh, she was going to pay for that.

"You're not getting away! Gungnir!" Blue lightning surrounded Avalon as he landed in front of his target, causing a small pulse of electricity to blow around him. The pulse passed through the thief and shocked her, but no sound came as it crumbled to dust. Pulling his staff up with a dissatisfied grunt, he looked up to the sky, trying to sense Tabitha.

"A clone huh? God damn it, there's too much interfering with my senses... Time to do this the hard way."

Leaping up to the branches above and shooting himself up into the sky, Avalon saw Sylphid some ways away ascending from the forest floor, but Tabitha wasn't on her back. Had she bet on the three of them splitting up? Hopefully Tabitha had the best luck, and managed to find this thief.

-Finish the Fight-

Fouquet slowed her pace down as she approached the young, blue haired girl in front of her. She made no threatening movements, and didn't need to. Fouquet knew why she was here.

"It seems that we will need the Gandalf to use this thing, after all." Planting the Staff of Destruction into the ground, Fouquet let out a soft sigh as she fanned herself. "I tried to use it myself earlier, but it didn't even respond to my willpower, nor the spell I tried to cast with it. I'm not even sure if this thing really _is_ a staff of destruction. It has no discernable magical qualities whatsoever."

Tabitha nodded, knowing. Pulling the staff back from the ground, Fouquet walked past Tabitha, eyeing her blank expression with a little concern. "You know what you need to do. So don't go getting too attached to that boy, you hear? Master Raziel doesn't tolerate failure... you know that as well as I do."

As Fouquet left, Tabitha instinctively felt her back tingle.

-Finish the Fight-

The next day, Louise knocked politely on the principal's door, patiently waiting. However, the giggling behind her made her turn around.

"Why are you with us again? You weren't even there! At least Miss Sasha and I helped Professor Colbert and Principal Osmond!" shoudted Louise.

"Why not? This is a lot more interesting than study hall anyway. It could be an adventure!" replied Kirche.

"While I admire your optimism, miss Zerbst, this thief is no laughing matter," said Sasha. Avalon nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, she was really powerful. I still can't believe she got away..." Looking over at Tabitha, he noticed her blank expression falter for a split second. Or had he imagined it? Was this affecting her more than she let on?

Colbert opened the door, stopping the conversation from proceeding further. He looked to his left and right, before hurriedly rushing everyone in.

"Ah, you're here... come in, quickly.

They entered. Gathered already in the room was Longueville, Osmond, as well as Princess Henrietta. Their faces were grave. Louise let out a small squeak at the princess' presence, but kept a calm expression.

"Mister Avalon, Miss Tabitha, Miss Sasha, Miss Valliere," the white haired principal began, inclining his head politely. "Thank you for coming. Through our surveillance, we have found a suspicious woman going in and out of a cabin that is located deep in the forest. We would like you to confirm whether it is really Fouquet."

Nodding towards Miss Longueville, the pretty green haired secretary, she stepped forth, producing a sketch. It was the spitting image of Fouquet. Avalon scanned the sketch with a nod.

"Yes, that's her. I'm sure," said Avalon, while Tabitha nodded silently.

"Thank you. I appreciate this greatly." Turning towards the princess, Osmond fell onto one knee. "My princess, I am so sorry that you had to witness such a shameful thing. We will retrieve the staff with post haste. Feel free to exact any punishment you desire on me; I take full responsibility," said Osmond. Henrietta, however, shook her head.

"There is nothing to punish, for you only acted with the best of interests. I must apologize myself, for coming unannounced; I had wanted to see my dear friend, Louise. Perhaps if I hadn't, Fouquet might not have gotten away."

"That's not true, princess! You were very helpful in helping heal myself and Osmond! Don't think so lowly of your efforts," said Colbert. Louise nodded in agreement, and Henrietta smiled.

"Still, are you sure you require no healing, Miss Longueville?" The secratary smiled.

"Yes. Though Fouquet trapped me underground, I am an earth mage, and was able to scape with no trouble. I had hoped to catch Fouquet when I found out where she was when I resurfaced, but this drawing was all I was able to get." Nodding, Osmond turned back to his audience.

"This is where you all come in. We wish for you to pursue Fouquet. Miss Tabitha and Sir Avalon have already confronted Fouquet once, although... I'm concerned about you, Miss Valliere," said Osmond with great hesitance. Though clearly offended, Louise did not outright show it.

"B-But Osmond, sending children to apprehend one of Tristain's most wanted criminals is dangerous!" said Professor Colbert. Miss Longueville nodded in agreement.

"While I am inclined to agree with you, I belive it will be best if they go. You have to understand that they are the future of this academy. We will not be able to shelter them forever, and not allowing them to do this will only harm their growth; surely you both, of all people, can understand that even classroom education has its limits?"

Colbert and Miss Longueville exchanged glances, not wanting to agree, but still unable to see another solution.

"Will you be accompanying them, Miss Sasha?" asked Colbert. She shook her head, and Colbert sighed.

"I will not, however, I will train them. Is that satisfactory for you?" Louise, Kirche and Tabitha looked over at Sasha with great surprise, the entire room murmuring at her words. Colbert met her gaze, and Avalon sensed a small spark between the two.

"Um, Professor Colbert, if I may speak, I shall go with them instead. I will be able to easily lead them to Fouquet's hideout. I will also help them be aware of any potential earth magic traps."

Knowing he had lost, Colbert finally gave in. "Very well. I will entrust them to your care."

As Louise, Kirche, Tabitha, Avalon and Sasha left the room with baited breath, Kirche could no longer contain herself.

"Are you really going to train us?! Wow! I'm so excited!" she exclaimed, jumping with glee. Tabitha nodded, she and the others following close behind.

"Learning experience. Thank you." Sasha shook her head, smiling.

"Don't worry about it. It's the least I could do for you all."

"But why can't you come with us, Sasha?" said Louise.

"It is as I said, Louise. Besides, I don't think you need me to take care of you. You all are more than strong enough to do so."

"Y-You really think so?" Sasha nodded.

"I trust my son to train you well. He learned everything he knows from me, after all." A smug smile spread across her lips as Avalon sighed.

"My mother, ladies." Sasha chuckled at his melancholy, though Avalon knew better than to think much of it. The group proceeded to exchange pleasantries as they made their way outdoors, Louise suggesting that they go to where she practices. They headed to the meadow without delay.

-Finish the Fight-


	10. The Staff of Destruction Part 2

Finish the Fight 07: The Staff of Destruction Part 2

 **AN: Wow, I was on a roll with this chapter! I had intended to make it much shorter, as the first half is mostly an information dump, but I had a hard time finding a place to stop. Oh well, enjoy!**

After reaching the meadow, the group decided to split into two teams. Avalon was to take Kirche with him, while Sasha focused on Louise and Tabitha. Kirche had been a bit vocal about that, expressing great interest in learning more about elvish magic (even if she couldn't use Tabitha or Louise's elements), but Sasha had assured her that she would teach everyone all that she knew when she had the time. But right now, it was time to focus on bettering themselves.

"Alright then. First thing's first, what kind of mage are you? I know you're a fire mage, but that's it," said Avalon. The fiery pair had taken up one half of the area, while the trio trained in the other.

Kirche brushed a stray stand of hair back with her hand, giving Avalon a chuckle. His lack of knowledge made sense. They didn't talk much. "Ah, I am not an ordinary fire mage. My runic name is Kirche the Ardent! My flames burn as brightly as my passions in life," she exclaimed. Avalon raised his brow.

"Runic names? What are those for?"

"You don't know? That's quite surprising. Any mage, when renowned enough, can earn their title by the feats they perform," said Kirche, taking a few steps around Avalon. She examined him from head to toe, measuring his physique with a practiced eye. Avalon didn't like it, but opted to ignore it.

"I see. But that doesn't answer my question. What's the most powerful kind of fire spell you can produce?"

"Ah, in that case, I'm a triangle class mage."

Avalon stared for a few moments. "...a what?"

This time, it was Kirche's turn to stare. "A triangle class mage! Haven't you been attending our classes? Surely you know about this," said Kirche, surprised. Avalon shook his head.

"I've... honestly been distracted. I train Louise, you see, and her results made me worry about her."

Kirche haughtily laughed, throwing up an arm in the air. "Ha, worried about what? That she produces nothing but explosions? I suggest you not walk that route. Louise is a lost cause," she said. Avalon's eyes narrowed.

"Just because someone stumbles and loses their way, doesn't mean they're lost forever. Sometimes we all need a little help," growled Avalon, agitated at her attitude. Kirche, feeling challenged, glared at him.

"And what are you trying to say?" she replied, reaching for her wand.

"I'm saying that I know what her element is, because it is my element too. So I'm going to do everything in my power to help her."

"What? You share her element? But you're a fire mage!" said Kirche, surprised. Her hostility left her, and Avalon calmed himself. "Louise is a fire mage?!"

"No, she isn't. But I suppose this is a good time to explain." Taking a seat, Avalon gestured for Kirche to join him on the grass. She did, intrigued at the prospect, putting her wand away in the mean time. Avalon explained spirit magic, briefly covering what he taught Louise.

"Okay, so let me get this straight... spirit magic expresses who you are as a person. But that doesn't explain what you said earlier. Yes, I get that spirit mages can wield any potential number of elements, but you said you're a fire mage. Doesn't that make Louise a fire mage?" asked Kirche.

 _Ah, now I saw the confusion._ Avalon shook his head.

"No, I never said I was a fire mage. I said I was a fire specialist. All of us can use the other elements, but fire, and subsequently, lightning and ether, are the ones I've personally studied and used the most extensively. In the latter years of our studies, the curriculum has us study a single element and find three other mages that specialize in each category, so that when we fight together as a team we can cover all the base elements. On my team, my best friend, Vincent, is the earth specialist, Sherry is our water specialist, and Nero is our wind specialist."

"Wait, hold on. You said base elements. What does that mean?"

"Well, we call wind, water, fire, and earth base elements. It's because we found out that each of those has an evolutionary form we categorized into two higher tiers of magic, the third tier being the strongest but rarest elements, while the base elements or wind, water, fire and earth are the most common, but weaker, first tier."

"Really? That's similar to us. In Halkeginia, I guess you could say we have four tiers of magic. A dot mage, who can only use one element, a line, who uses two, a triangle, who uses three, and a square mage, who uses four elements."

"Hold on. You said you were a triangle mage. You can use other elements besides fire?"

"Not exactly. I'm not much for the nitty-gritty of it, that's Tabitha's job, but from what I recall in our lessons, most mages only ever use one element. However, we can stack the same element upon itself to make it stronger."

"I see... So, if you were to want a big fireball, you would have to stack two small fireballs to make it?"

"Something like that, yeah. But anyway! If fire isn't your main element, what was it? How did you discover it?"

Avalon frowned as Amy's face flashed in his mind.

"...It's Ether, the third tier of fire. I don't want to talk about how I found it." Standing up, Avalon rotated his shoulder. "Anyway, let's get started.

-Finish the Fight-

"T-Thank you for training me, miss Sasha," said Louise as Avalon and Kirche left. She kept an eye on the two as they went off, making sure that Kirche didn't pull any moves on Avalon. Tabitha was reading a book.

"Oh, don't worry about it my dear, its the least I could do for Avalon's friends. And please, just Sasha is fine. I'm not that old," Sasha chuckled, observing Avalon as well. "That boy is such a handful. Always throwing himself at other people's problems, never once thinking for his own safety. Sometimes I worry, but he's worked hard to get where he is now. All just so he can find Amy..."

The melancholic expression on Sasha's face made Tabitha and Louise exchange looks. Who was Amy? They felt like they should ask, but it seemed to be a very personal subject...

Sasha shook her head with a smile, her sadness disappearing with a small laugh. "But regardless, what has Avalon taught you so far, Louise?"

And so, Louise explained what Avalon had taught her so far. Afterwards, Sasha gave Louise a small hum.

"Yes, that's quite right. But it seems Avalon focused too much on the technicalities of it... Oh, I'm going to have a word with that boy."

"What do you mean?" Louise asked, greatly curious. Tabitha nodded, listening intently, even opting to put her book away. After a few quiet moments, Sasha crossed her arms.

"Hmm... Louise, Tabitha, do you have any siblings?"

Not expecting the sudden question, Louise nodded. "Y-Yes, I have two elder sisters."

Tabitha, however, thought long and hard about it.

"...No, I don't."

Sasha didn't bother discerning why she lied. It must have been a family matter. "Then for the sake of Tabitha, let's assume that both your mothers were trapped in a burning building, hurt, and unable to escape. Would you go back and save them?" she went on without missing a beat.

"Of course!" Louise answered right away. Tabitha nodded her head, her eyes holding a strong fire in them. Sasha nodded, satisfied.

"I'm glad, because that is all you need for ether." Holding up her hand to avoid any interruptions, Sasha went on. "Love. Love is the most powerful thing in this world, and when you love, you are capable of doing anything. Ether is the energy of life, but love is what drives us to fight for it. Without ether there would be no life, but without love, life would not be worth living."

Falling onto one knee, Sasha pulled the two into a soft embrace. It was a motherly gesture, one that Louise hadn't ever received from her own mother. She almost instinctively held her back, but she restrained herself, thinking instead about why she felt strange when she saw the look in Sasha's eyes. Tabitha, however, remained locked in place, holding her emotions, her guilt, inside her.

"You two are young, and strong, stronger than you realize. But you must never forget to love. Never forget it." Puling away, Tabitha and Louise realized that Sasha was on the verge of crying. Yet her voice was so strong, so full of wisdom.

Louise then recognized that look Sasha had. It was the same one she had seen on herself in the mirror after all those days of locking her pains and sorrows away.

"And please... look after my son. He is strong and so full of compassion, but he never thinks of himself. He always places other first, and I am afraid that one day he may do something that will cost him his life."

Sasha wiped away her tears. Watching her do so made Louise feel for her, but in all honesty, she was lost in what to do. She wanted to comfort her somehow, but lacked the knowledge to do so. She hadn't been this close with anyone but her second eldest sister, yet even then, she had never seen anyone in her family cry. This was the first time she had seen anyone, other than herself, so vulnerable.

 _"How long has she been holding this in?"_ Louise thought.

Was her mother like this too? Despite the harsh training and lonely life she had led, Louise couldn't help but think so. Her mother was strict, yes, but never cruel or unfair.

Tabitha felt stricken, her gaze trapped on the floor. She was always told that elves hated humans, raised on the notion that they were beasts that needed to be destroyed. But they were just as human as humans were, and felt the same feelings too. Looking over at Avalon, she started feeling guilty for what she had done... what she was going to do.

But it had to be done. There was no other way.

"Don't worry. We will watch over him," said Tabitha. Louise nodded in agreement, and Sasha sighed.

"Thank you. Now, let's get started."

-Finish the Fight-

 _One day later_

Avalon crouched low behind the bushes of the forest, observing the clearing ahead of him. It was a large open square, with the cottage placed directly in the middle. It practically screamed trap to him. Still, there were no obvious physical traps in sight, and Avalon didn't sense any magic coming from around the cottage either. There was only one signature inside, but it was very weak.

Sighing, Avalon monitored Longueville's aura, making sure she wasn't up to anything funny. He knew instantly that she was Fouquet the moment he saw her, sensing the same aura from Fouquet, but his mother's words stopped him from confronting her.

" _Be careful, Avalon. I trust that you know its her, but we have no physical evidence. The others cannot sense her magic, so you will have to wait for an opportunity. I'm sure that there will be a trap waiting for you, so use that to your advantage."_

Still, this was too easy.

 _Why would Longueville set up such an easily readable bait? Does she want us to get the staff?_

"Louise, do you sense anything?" Avalon whispered.

Louise, hiding on the other side of the clearing, adjusted herself as she shook her head. "No, it doesn't feel like there's anything in the cottage, but I'm not sure," she replied. "I... I think I can sense something in there. But its really weak. I almost didn't catch it."

"So you sensed it too? You're getting better, that's good. Tabitha, do you see Fouquet from above?" Looking up, Louise and Avalon saw Sylphid circling high the sky.

"Negative." Tabitha's voice whispered in their ears.

"Nothing on my end either. There aren't any earth traps that I can feel, but be careful," came Longueville's voice next.

"Alright then, moving into position. Watch my back, Kirche," said Avalon to the red head beside him.

She chuckled. "This is going to be an interesting story to tell."

Avalon readied Gungnir, which he summoned earlier to avoid noise. Kirche pulled out her wand from her sleeve, and the two cautiously approached the cabin. Avalon examined the door for physical traps before entering.

The inside of the cabin was filled with old and worn furniture, book cases, and a bed, covered in dust. Sunlight shined in through the broken window, providing some fresh air, but it did not stop Kirche and Avalon from coughing and hacking as they searched.

"Ugh, all this dust is getting in my eyes. Can we just blast this place clean with a wind spell, please?" asked Kirche as she rubbed her eyes. With a sigh, Avalon waved his hand, and all the dust cleared. Kirche gave him a smile. "Thanks. Now we can properly search."

"You're surprisingly calm and collected. I honestly expected you to be talking a lot more, actually," admitted Avalon as he checked the book cases for any secret passages. The books were in fairly good condition, so it paid to check just in case.

Kirche gave him a haughty laugh. "But of course. I am full of surprises... I can be calm just as I can be passionate." Her face turned serious for a moment. "But... I was just thinking about what you said yesterday. About fire, I mean."

Avalon took a moment to think about the lesson he passed onto her as she gave him a wry smile.

 _"Fire, like people, can be warm and passionate. But even the smallest of sparks, when uncontrolled, can cause an entire forest to burn; one thoughtless action can define your life and surroundings. So don't ever forget these words._

 _"Fire is transformation through action. Can you do that?"_

"I see. I'm glad to be of help. Still, let's talk about this later." Pulling up a long, horizontal box with his free hand, Avalon dismissed Gungnir and opened it to find the source of the faint magic signature. "I found the staff. Or rather, spear."

It was an elegant piece of work, he had to admit that. Kirche peered over his shoulder, looking at the weapon herself.

"It looks kind of ominous, don't you think? I can see why they call it the staff of destruction."

"Yeah... I wonder who this belonged to?" Avalon reached out to pick up the weapon, and felt the back of his left hand tingle as his Gandalf powers activated. A slight but sharp pain raced through his head, and he flinched as he felt something reading his mind.

"Avalon? Are you alright?" Kirche asked, but Avalon didn't reply. His grip on the staff increased, his knuckles white as he clenched his eyes shut in pain. Panic rushed through her. _What should I do?!_

Avalon, however, had his own thoughts focused on the weapon in his hand. He could feel it. This weapon was sentient. Not fully sentient like Gungnir, but it was still self aware.

He felt it ask for his name.

"My name... is Avalon. Who... are you?"

"What?" Kirche asked, not expecting the question.

The weapon gave its answer, then suddenly everything was clear. Avalon opened his eyes, no longer in pain.

"I see..."

Kirche looked between the staff and Avalon, confusion clear as day. "Hold on a second, what just-"

"WATCH OUT!" Louise's voice pierced through the cabin. The ground suddenly shook and the roof was torn off soon after, revealing the same giant earth golem from before. Kirche whipped up her wand and Avalon raised the spear in his hands.

"Louise! Focus on finding Fouquet! We'll keep the golem busy from here! Tabitha, pick Louise up!"

As Avalon said this, Kirche chanted her spell under her breath. "Fire!" she yelled, and a hot stream burst forth from her wand, engulfing the golem. It raised its arm to defend itself, but Avalon already moved.

"Arc blast!" he shouted, and lightning struck the golem, chipping away at its wrist. The golem staggered back, his hand severed from its body, and the two quickly exited the cabin.

As Kirche and Avalon fought, Louise ran into the clearing and circled behind the golem. A loud whistle filled the air, and Louise looked up. Sylphid came soaring through the sky towards her, Tabitha guiding her movements. She landed with a loud bang, Louise forced to protect her eyes from the dust cloud. Tabitha picked Louise up, ignoring her yelp, before taking off into the air with a powerful jump.

"Remember the plan," said Tabitha. Louise nodded her head.

"Keep her steady for me," Louise replied. She closed her eyes, trying to become familiar with the unique aura that surrounded the golem. After a few minutes, she did, but...

"...What? I don't understand," said Louise. Tabitha turned her head.

"What's wrong?" she asked, although she already had an idea of what. Louise opened her eyes, clearly confused.

"That golem... it's Miss Longuevilles!"

-Finish the Fight-

Meanwhile, Avalon and Kirche were fighting off the golem, although with little success. Despite their continued attacks, the golem kept regenerating, using the surrounding earth to repair itself.

"Just fall down and die, you annoying dirt bag!" Avalon yelled, sending forth another bolt of lightning. Kirche followed with a fireball, landing a direct hit. The golem roared again, and slowly started making its way towards Avalon.

The golem threw a quick fist, speed far surpassing its mass. Avalon dodged to the right, and jumped between its legs. As he passed its ankles, Avalon used both Gungnir and the staff of destruction to slash at the joints. It was effective; the golem staggered. Kirche pelted him from afar with smaller fireballs, and Avalon circled around, cutting off its right leg with Gungnir. He held his breath as it stumbled but it luckily fell forwards and not on him.

The golem fell on its knees, and Avalon took full advantage of it. Scaling its back, he made his way towards its head, and once he reached the top, he stabbed Gungnir into its head, sending a surge of lightning through the earth. The golem's head blew up, and Avalon flipped off.

"Did that do it?!" he said to himself as he landed.

The golem's legs and head regenerated and it stood unfazed. Mindlessly, it thrust another punch straight at Avalon. Avalon dodged, swearing to himself. He regrouped with Kirche, who was hiding deeper in the forest, panting.

"This thing is tough... what should we do?" Kirche asked, eyeing Avalon. He had yet to use the Staff as a magic foci, but instead opted to use it as a simple spear. "Can you use the staff?"

Avalon looked down at it, his eyes staring hard. The golem was approaching slowly, searching for them. It was only a matter of time.

"...I can, but I need space. Go with Tabitha and Louise; I'll handle this." Whistling into the air, Sylphid came to them moments later, Louise frantic.

"Avalon! You're not going to believe this; the golem is being controlled-"

"By Miss Longueville, I know," he said, cutting her off. Kirche whipped her head.

"What?!" she exclaimed, but Avalon shook his head.

"There's no time! Take her and go, Tabitha! Fly a safe distance! I'm going to use the staff, and I don't know how powerful it is!"

Not waiting for their reply, Avalon turned and sprinted towards the golem, dismissing Gungnir as he did so. He looked down at the staff of destruction, still unsure.

"Am I worthy of wielding you? May I borrow your power?" he asked the weapon.

He felt its consent. Avalon nodded.

"Thank you."

Reaching the golem, Avalon launched himself into the open, keeping his eyes on his target. Strangely enough, it stopped attacking, as if waiting for Avalon. He took the time to check in his friends were safely far enough, and monitored Longueville's aura. She was watching him.

Looking down at the staff again, he debated within himself. He wasn't sure if he could defeat the golem with the staff, but the weapon was confident it could. So what did he have to lose?

Trusting the steel in his hand, Avalon took his stance, and shouted its name.

-Finish the Fight-

Fouquet watched her golem attack the children, very annoyed that Avalon had not yet used the Staff of Destruction. Why wasn't he using it?! It was clear she was at the advantage; her golem was fighting in home territory. There was plenty of earth for her to use.

"Come on, you stubborn brat," growled Fouquet. She looked up, hiding among the trees to avoid being seen by Louise, Tabitha, and Sylphid. She knew Tabitha was on her side, but the other two weren't, so if either of them saw her, Tabitha would have no choice but to cooperate to keep cover.

Returning her gaze to her golem, she noticed that Kirche and Avalon had disappeared. A whistle pierced the air, and Sylphid swooped down into the forest. Were they retreating?!

Fouquet waited with baited breath, and sighed with relief when Avalon returned, the staff of destruction in his hands. Eagerness raised within her.

"Yes. Use the staff. Show me how, so that I can get my revenge!"

Avalon gripped the staff with both hands, taking a stance, and he shouted, "Unleash terror... _GAE BOLG!_ "

-Finish the Fight-

Red aura.

It swirled around Avalon, powerful and palpable, the staff in his hands screaming with joy as its power was unleashed to the world. Avalon felt himself grow more powerful, the weapon in his hands unleashing its experience and abilities upon his mind.

The golem visibly flinched, taking a step back. Avalon grinned.

He dashed towards the structure, severing its ankle with a single swipe. A red arc trailed behind the weapon as Avalon swung, slashing through the construct like butter. The severed foot turned to dust, the stump of the golem glowing an ominous red. Avalon waited, and it did not regenerate.

Good.

Again and again, Avalon slashed away at the golem, taking it apart, piece by piece, the being unable to retaliate. Slowly, it's body began to turn red, covered in glowing wounds, swinging its limbs uselessly at the half elf boy. But Avalon did not relent. He savored the moment, attacking ruthlessly.

And finally, as the golem lay on its back, no longer able to stand, Avalon charged up his ether, inserting his will into the weapon.

"Die."

With a swing, Avalon slashed the air. For a moment, nothing happened, but then the golem's back arched in pain as multiple red tears slashed across its body, ripping the golem apart. Avalon shielded his eyes from the dust as the golem finally fell to pieces, satisfied as the smoke cleared, his attack leaving nothing behind.

"Is that all, Longueville? Or would you prefer Fouquet? I think Fouquet is prettier, to be honest," said Avalon. He turned, seeing Fouquet, her smile sickly sweet, her green hair flowing in the wind.

"How did you figure it out?" she asked, slowly. She let her hair down and removed her glasses. As she did so, eyes changed – they turned yellow, from their light brown. Avalon scoffed.

"That's for me to know. Now tell me your true intentions! Why did you want me to use the staff? That is what you wanted, isn't it?" Avalon growled. Fouquet grinned.

"Very impressive. To answer your question though, it was good that I stole it, but I had trouble using it."

"So I was your guinea pig, huh?" Avalon asked through gritted teeth.

"Exactly. I knew that you would be able to use it, Gandalf… but I'm afraid our time is up," she drawled.

Avalon's eyes widened as he felt a spell being cast behind him. He turned, ready to slash the icicle as it came close, but watched with surprise as it sailed past him, and towards Fouquet.

"What?!" he heard Fouquet shout behind him. A wall of earth shielded her. Not wasting time, he threw Gae Bolg at her as the wall fell, but a hand formed from the falling earth, allowing Fouquet to take the weapon. She let out a triumphant laugh as her spell collapsed, Gae Bolg raised high.

"You'll regret giving me this weapon! Now prepare to die! Unleash terror, Gae Bolg!"

When nothing happened, Avalon raised his hand, and prepared his legs with ether.

"There's something you should know about soul blade summons, Fouquet," he said, returning the sweet smile she gave him earlier.

Fouquet blinked in astonishment and fear as she looked at the weapon in her hands. "Unleash terror, Gae Bolg!" she tried again, swinging the staff uselessly.

"They choose their own masters."

Gae Bolg vanished from Fouquet's grip, reappearing in Avalon's hand with a flash of red. Not giving her a chance, Avalon dashed behind her with enhanced speed, smashing the butt of Gae Bolg's staff into her head. There was a loud thud and a choked cry of pain.

"D-damn you…" Fouquet whispered, before fainting.

Looking down at her with contempt, Avalon sat down with a small huff, sensing his friends and their fast approach. Looking at the weapon in his hand for a moment, he let it vanish into his spirit as Sylphid descended.

"Avalon! Are you okay?! What was that red light?!" Louise shouted, jumping off first. Her gaze whipped between himself and Fouquet. "You defeated miss Longueville?!"

Avalon laughed. "Yup. Mission accomplished." Kirche and Tabitha joined Louise, Tabitha offering her hand.

"Here," she whispered. Avalon looked at her hand impassively as Kirche and Louise awed at Tabitha's gesture. He took it without complaint.

"Thanks for that... and for the distraction."

"Distraction?" Kirche asked, confused. Tabitha said nothing as Louise and Kirche exchanged looks.

"Yeah. I had Tabitha shoot Longueville with ice spells as a distraction when I lured her out," Avalon lied. Louise and Kirche's eyes lit up as Tabitha looked down.

"Oh! Is that why you left earlier, Tabitha? I guess it makes sense why you left then! But why didn't you tell us earlier?" Louise asked. Avalon shook his head.

"It was a last minute thing. But anyway! We got Fouquet, so let's get out of here."

Exchanging glances, Louise and Kirche shrugged their shoulders, not noticing the small exchange between Tabitha and Avalon.


	11. Compassion

Finish the Fight Chapter 8: Compassion

 _The day before_

It was nightfall.

Henrietta stood in the privacy of her chapters, staring out the window of the academy. It gave her a beautiful and generous viewof the plains below, the servants moving shadows in the distance. In her hand was another letter from Prince Wales, detailing more about the commoners learning magic from the Reconquista movement. They were being led by a man, named Raziel, who supposedly claimed to be sent by God. He further detailed his ability to take magic from others and bestow it upon the commoners, quoting the speech Raziel gave at Wales' father's execution. Wales spoke of what he saw, the disbelief in his father's eyes, the breaking of his spirit when Raziel took his hand off of his head, his father's magic no longer his.

Henrietta's heart reached out to him, great concern rising in her mind. Was this Raziel truly sent by God? Was this their punishment for all the petty and greedy nobles that they of them had all become? What would their father have said, if he were to see her and Henry now? Would he have been angry at himself, for not being able to teach them better? Would he have been disappointed that his children weren't able to follow his footsteps? Henrietta could only wonder.

She stared out her window to the people below, contemplating on what she was going to do next.

"Getting more concrete information on this Raziel would be a start. A mole would suffice... but who?" Henrietta wondered aloud. Sending a mage would be out of the question, they were the targets. That significantly lowered the number of candidates, but...

Would it be worth the risk? What would her father do?

Should she tell Henry?

"...Agnes?" said Henrietta. Her guard opened the doors, revealing herself to her queen. She quickly entered, falling to one knee before Henrietta. Henrietta steeled her heart, and turned.

"Yes, my princess?" Agnes asked. Henrietta passed her the letter.

"I have a mission for you."

-Finish the Fight-

 _Present, Headmaster's Office_

"Avalon, Tabitha, Louise, Kirche, you have my greatest thanks for apprehending Fouquet. With her behind bars, Halkeginia will be able to rest easy," said Henrietta. The group rested on one knee before Henrietta and Osmond, their heads low in respect. Sasha was in the back, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall. She idly looked around, noticing the absence of Agnes as Henrietta spoke on.

"And do not think that your efforts will go unrewarded. I will personally deliver the news of what has happened, and have Louise and Kirche awarded the title of Chevalier." The pair's faces brightened up upon hearing the news. "As for Miss Tabitha, since she is already a Chevalier, I have requested that Miss Tabitha be given the Elven Medallion as a reward."

Tabitha's eyes glinted, and she lowered her head further. "Thank you," she said. Meanwhile Louise and Kirche's gazes snapped towards Tabitha, shock and awe on their faces, the same thoughts of surprise running through their minds. Avalon, however, tried to discern why.

"What does Chevalier even mean? Ugh, blast these stupid, outdated terms..." he thought as Osmond stepped forward.

"No, this is the least we could do," Osmond replied. He passed his gaze over the three girls again, noticing the frown on Louise's face. "Is something wrong, miss Louise? Are you not satisfied with your title?"

"N-No! I am honored, humbled even! But... Headmaster, what about Avalon? Will he not get anything?" Louise frantically replied. She looked over at him, feeling a little guilty. Kirche paused as well, though Tabitha and Sasha didn't seem surprised at all. Avalon met Louise's gaze with a steady smile as Osmond went on.

"Yes, I'm afraid, because he's not a noble... but instead, if there is any favor you need, feel free to approach me. Is that satisfactory for you, mister Avalon?" said Osmond.

"Yes, that's fine. I also have a few questions, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Very well. I will do my best to answer them. But enough of that! Tonight, we celebrate! I will arrange for the servants to prepare a most glorious feast tonight!" said Osmond cheerfully, allowing the group to stand back up. "You three will be the main attraction for tonight, so dress well and dance to your heart's content!"

Kirche's face brightened up at that as she, Louise and Tabitha curtseyed. "That's right! Let's forget about Fouquet and dance all night long! I have the perfect dress in mind! Tabitha, what will you be wearing?"

"None of your dresses." Tabitha rolled her eyes as she got up, curtseyed, and began walking to the door. Kirche followed.

"Oh come on, Tabitha! What about you, Louise? You're about the same size as Tabitha, would you like to try some of the dresses I had tailored for her?" Louise's face turned crimson at the seductive look on Kirche's face. "I'm sure the boys would appreciate it."

"Y-You cow! No, I will not be wearing your dresses! What is wrong with you?! " shouted Louise, running to the door and shouting down the hall as the pair left. She heard a laugh, and looked back into the room, seeing Henrietta giggling. "A-Ah, please forgive my outburst, princess!" Louise fell on one knee again, and Avalon sighed. The princess paid no mind to it as she lifted up her friend.

"You have such wonderful friends, Louise," said Henrietta. Louise's face turned a deep crimson.

"F-Friend?! They're not my friends!" Louise shouted, before reconsidering her words. "Okay, Tabitha is my friend, but that cow Kirche?! No way! She is nowhere near that!"

"Sure, whatever you say," said Avalon this time. He and Henrietta burst out into a fit of laughter, knowing Louise was simply lying to herself. The banter between those two couldn't be explained any other way.

"S-She really isn't!"

As their laughter died down, and Louise said her goodbyes, Avalon shut the door, his face turning serious.

"So, mister Avalon, what would you like to ask me?" said Osmond politely. He sat down in his chair, folding his hands in front of him on his desk. Without a word, Avalon turned and called Gae Bolg to his hands, alerting Sasha and Osmond, while scaring Henrietta.

"O-Oh! My, that surprised me. Is that the staff of destruction? How did you do that?" said Henrietta, taking a closer look at the weapon. It was in its dormant state, the weapon's soul resting peacefully, not a hint of killing intent.

"That spear... Gae Bolg?!" cried out Sasha in surprise. "Avalon! That weapon is dangerous!"

"Gae Bolg? Is that the name of the staff of destruction?" Osmond asked, eyeing the weapon himself. It had been many years since he did so. Sasha took a moment to collect herself, taking a deep breath.

"Indeed. Gae Bolg was the spear of an ancient warrior from our land, named Cu Chulainn. The legend goes that his weapon, the Gae Bolg, was a cursed magical spear, said to inflict wounds that could not be healed, eating away those it strikes like a poison until it devours them completely." Sasha's expression became grave. "It also has a powerful spirit, that if unchecked can overwhelm the user and drive them to madness." Turning to her son again, Avalon gulped and held firm as he met his mother's steely gaze. "It chose you, didn't it?"

He slowly nodded.

"Um, I'm sorry, but what do you mean it chose him?" Henrietta asked. "Its a weapon, isn't it? Even if its a magical one, it can't have a mind of its own, right?"

"Not quite. Weapons like these are what we call Soul Blades. They are now a forbidden practice in our land, but originally, they were magical weapons crafted to house the souls of the departed, so that their killer instincts, and later, when we perfected the technique, the entirety of their souls, could be passed onto the next generation of soldiers to teach them the art of war." Sasha shook her head, her expression grim as gasps escaped Henrietta and Osmond's lips. "It was a barbaric technique that disallowed them rest for as long as they were contracted. And even when they're not, they're trapped inside their weapons like caged animals, unable to escape."

Avalon's gaze fell to the floor, a small spark of lightning racing between his fingers as he recalled Gungnir's past.

"I know all that already. But I needed to use it. Fouquet was strong, much stronger than I anticipated, even with myself and Kirche combining our fire attacks. How could that be, mom? Doesn't fire counter earth?"

"It does, but it must be because there is a greater abundance of mana in the air..."

"That's true... that must be why their base elements are so much stronger than ours." Raising the staff up once again, Avalon decided to move things back on track. "But enough of that. Headmaster, how did you get your hands on this weapon?"

Osmond closed his eyes and remained quiet for a moment, reminiscing. "...It was given to me a very long time ago. He didn't say his name, nor did he show his face, but the owner presented it to me as a gift, in return for a favor." Raising his eyes, locking on Avalon's. "Guard this weapon well, until the one who can use its power comes. Give it to them."

"He then demonstrated its power before my eyes, and decimated an elder dragon that had been causing great strife at the time. Ever since then, many have come and gone, hoping to use its strength to their own ends, but it never responded. I never thought I would see the day..."

"I see... well, that just makes this easier to bring up, but Fouquet wanted me to use the staff. She couldn't use it herself, actually, and thought that if I were to show her how, she could wield it." Avalon shrugged his shoulders. "You know how the rest is..."

"What are you getting at, Avalon?" Sasha asked, reading her son's habit. Avalon gave her a nervous glance. "Go on. Tell them," she gave him a light push.

Avalon nodded, taking a deep breath. "I want to help Fouquet." Avalon raised his hand to prevent interruptions. "Just hear me out. I know it seems crazy, but Fouquet isn't doing this for no reason. I can't tell you the circumstances, but I know what I felt; she has a deep rooted love for someone that she's trying to protect."

"You felt it? You can't base your judgement on feelings," Osmond replied, greatly disturbed. But Avalon didn't relent.

"The heart does not lie," he said, turning to Sasha. She gave him a small smile.

"But how is it possible that you could feel what is in her heart?" Henrietta asked, curious to know more. It sounded like a useful skill, indeed. "Could you explain, miss Sasha?"

"Of course. For us, spiritual magic has a special trait that allows us to feel magic in all its forms. And because magic is an expression of one's self, the emotions and intent that drive the spell to be created can also be felt," Sasha confirmed.

Avalon nodded in agreement, "And I felt her emotions when she was watching me. The desperation. The thirst for revenge. And underneath it all, the drive to protect something, someone, precious to her." Falling onto one knee, Avalon bowed his head low, using one hand to balance himself. "Please, I'm begging you! Let me help her! We can give her a new identity, give her a new face, even! Just let me talk to her!"

Silence reigned. Avalon kept his position, his eyes on the floor. He didn't dare to look up until Henrietta's footsteps alerted him, and she lifted him to his feet. His eyes met hers, and he saw only kindness in them, a broad smile on her face.

"Louise is so lucky to have summoned such a wonderful and compassionate familiar," she whispered. "Very well, sir Avalon. I will grant your request. But when you are finished speaking with her, please, bring her to me so we can meet as well. I wish to hear her side of the story."

"B-But princess! Its dangerous! There's no telling what could happen!" Osmond was astonished.

Henrietta's smile didn't fall. "If anything were to happen, you would be able to protect me, right Avalon?"

Avalon found himself smiling as well. "Count on it!"

-Finish the Fight-

 _The Dungeons_

Avalon, and Sasha entered the murky cell. There was no light, save for the dim flickering of torches in the hall, the cold sinking into their bones. In the middle of the cell was Fouquet, her head hung low and her limbs chained to her chair. She jerked up as Avalon purposely slammed the cell doors loudly, giving Avalon a glare as he illuminated the room.

"What do you want?" she snarled.

"Relax, we only came here to strike a deal. One that I think can benefit all of us," replied Avalon, attaching his light spell to the ceiling, giving a pleasant, white glow. Fouquet's scowl faded, her eyes scrunching in disbelief and suspicion.

"What kind of deal?"

"It's simple, really. We will grant you and your family protection from whatever it is that's threatening them, and in exchange, you will become my ally."

Fouquet's jaw slacked for a few moments, before she burst out into laughter.

"You've got to be kidding me! Is this supposed to be some kind of joke? What makes you think I'll believe anything you have to offer me?!"

"You don't have to believe me. That's not the point. The point is I am offering you a chance. A chance to put behind this life of thievery and start again." Calling forth Gae Bolg into his hands, Avalon watched Fouquet as she froze in her seat. "You wanted me to teach you how to use this, didn't you? Well, unfortunately, I can't, as this weapon is bound to me. I can, however, give you the power you desire."

"We will teach you spirit magic. We will teach you how to use the powers we wield, because I know you have a family you're trying to protect. I don't know why, but I can guess its because they're under some kind of ransom?"

Fouquet's pupils dilated.

"How could you possibly know that?" she demanded, glaring again. He couldn't possibly know anything. But then again, he was an elf, and they had their ways. Anything was possible. Doubt started to creep into her mind.

Avalon kept a steady gaze. "Because I felt it. Spiritual magic has a special trait that allows us to feel magic in all its forms. And magic is the expression of the soul. Of our emotions; and I felt your emotions when you were watching me, Fouquet. The desperation. The thirst for revenge. And underneath it all, the drive to protect something, someone, precious to you." Dismissing Gae Bolg, Avalon walked up to Fouquet, falling on one knee and placing his hand on hers. Avalon shivered slightly at her coldness.

"Please, help me, help you. I want to help you. But will you let me?"

Fouquet was taken aback, the situation moving in a way she had not expected. She had thought they had come to interrogate her, not offer her this! The mother had yet to say anything, sitting off in the corner of the room, seemingly okay with her son offering her this chance. She was a thief, for Brimir's sake! Fouquet the crumbling dirt, the greatest thief in all of Halkeginia! How were they okay with this?! She thought there was no way that they could be serious, but the determined look in his eyes told her that he was.

In the end, she shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. Even if I were to accept your help, I would be recognized instantly by them. They've seen my face, after all."

Oddly, Avalon smiled at that. "Well then, I guess that just means we have to change your face, don't we?"

Fouquet raised her brow, intrigued, "What are you talking about?"

For the first time since she entered, Sasha spoke. "Its an advanced form of elvish magic. I can change your face and give you an entirely new identity."

"Yup! All we need to do is cremate a fake body, give official word that Fouquet is dead, and give you a new face and name! So? What do you say?" Smiling even wider, Avalon placed his hands on the back of his head.

Unsure of what to say, Fouquet could only look between the pair. Hope was rising in her chest, but she had long learned to keep it in check, to never let herself be controlled by off chances. But...

"...Why?" she couldn't help but ask. "Why are you so desperate to help me?"

Avalon gave her a genuine smile. "I don't need a reason to help someone in trouble."

Noticing the smile on Sasha's face, Fouquet chuckled. "You have one naive little boy, here, miss elf."

"Indeed. But that kind of honesty is one thing that the world sorely needs, don't you agree?"

"Indeed... Fine. I will help you. But you better keep my family safe, or there will be hell to pay." A true smile spread across her lips. With an even bigger smile, Avalon summoned his blue staff, and broke the chains on her limbs, allowing Fouquet to stand up freely.

"Great! Let's get started then. First off, what do you want us to call you?"

Fouquet answered without hesitation. "Matilda. That's my real name."


	12. Moving Plans

Finish the Fight 9: Moving Plans

 _One Year Ago_

They came without warning, bursting through our bedroom doors. Outside, the sounds of steel clashing roared, the footsteps of hundreds of men echoing.

Tiffania took one look and screamed, terrified of the armed soldiers bearing their weapons at us. I held her close, secretly drawing out my wand and preparing a spell. It was odd, though; normally when someone would see Tiffania, the first thing they would do is run in terror. But not these men. They moved quickly and professionally, standing firm. Upon the breastplate of each soldier was a green wind dragon on a field of blue. My eyes narrowed.

"Albion soldiers?!" I exclaimed, surprised. The sounds of clapping hands and clicking boots diverted my attention. I turned to the doorway, seeing a familiar, smug face. He was dressed in fine clothes, his pants a dark brown and his dress shirt a sky blue, the dark mantle over his shoulders swaying.

"Darryl, what is the meaning of this?!"

The man named Darryl grinned even wider.

"Why, my dear Matilda, isn't it obvious? The Archduke has found out about your father's little deals with Reconquista and the elves,, and has ordered your family's arrest and execution for treason. They threatened me to cooperate with them, and since I have no desire to die, I decided to follow their demands."

"What are you talking about? Father would never associate himself with those scum! You're lying!" I shouted. But Darryl seemed to ignore my words.

"It's most unfortunate. Such a poor, naïve man, your father was. Still, it allowed me for opportunities I can now make a reality." With a sharp turn, Darryl waved his hand, dismissing himself. "Take them away. Oh, and feel free to… play with them as you wish. Just don't kill them. The Archduke wants them alive."

Chuckles spread through the ranks of the soldiers, their perverted eyes leering as the anger boiled in my chest.

"You bastard! After everything my father has done for you! I'll kill you!" Raising my wand I unleashed my spell, rupturing the earth beneath their feet. I held Tiffania close as the room began to fall apart, debris from the ceiling falling on our enemies as they screamed and died. Sending a tendril of earth at Darryl, I roared, ready to taste blood. But the man was ready. A barrier of wind blocked my attack, giving me enough time to get up and jump out the window. I shielded Tiffania as we landed across the grass field, the entire courtyard in war. Spells zoomed to and fro, the screams of our servants clear.

"M-Matilda! What are we going to do?!" She looked up at me, so vulnerable, so innocent. I bared my teeth at our surroundings, searching.

"We have to find father."

Unsure but willing to follow, Tiffania and I kept our heads low as we reentered our home through the main doors. The entrance hall was filled with the dead and their scattered remains, the scent of blood heavy and oppressing, splattered on carpets and paintings and furniture. Tiffania covered her mouth in shock, and held my breath as I moved us forward, forcing back the bile that threatened to erupt. Tiffania averted her eyes, holding me tight.

" _They will pay for this."_

Moving up to the second floor, we circled around to reach the second staircase. I mercilessly killed anyone that came in our way, shoving their faces in with sharp rock. As we passed their bodies, Tiffania muttered quiet apologies.

Eventually, we made it up to the third floor, where my father's study resided. I heard Darryl shouting, which was unlike his usual cool and calm self. Which also meant he was distracted.

Rushing through the broken doors, I whipped up my wand and attacked the soldiers first, taking down four. The remaining two ducked behind cover, while Darryl conjured up a wind shield. The sick grin on his face made me want to hurl.

"Ah, you're still alive, girl, and just in time! Look!" Gripping my father firmly by the back of his collar, Darryl shoved him forward and onto his knees. Father's face was beaten and bruised, his clothes torn and his left arm bent at an unhealthy angle. "Your father was a fool, to think he could just turn his loyalties away from the Archduke! I have punished him thoroughly for it." He paused, taking in the angry look I had on my face. "The times are changing, Matilda! A new age is coming, and no one can stop it! Not even Reconquista, and if you aren't with us, then you're against us!" He raised his hand. "I will give you one chance; join me, or die!"

The tension in the air was high. I stood still as a statue, measuring my options. I looked at my father, his eyes filled with a burning resolve, and he slowly nodded his head. A tear ran down my cheek.

I didn't hesitate. I spat at Darryl's feet, satisfyingly wiping off the grin on his face.

"Go to hell."

I took one step forward and pressed the secret button under the wooden floor.

Father was the viceroy of the Archduke of Albion. He had many powerful enemies. He was also a powerful, square class mage. So rigging our home with traps was a simple thing.

The trap door underneath Darryl and father opened, catching him off guard. Father dived out of the way, and I quickly killed the other remaining soldiers as they stood to help Darryl, forcing him to use a levitation spell. Sand erupted from the pit, surrounding him, and father and I crushed Darryl without remorse, not even giving him time to scream.

"Father!" Tiffania and I shouted as he fell to the floor, exhausted. I picked him up, only then just realizing the wound he had on his back. The cut was jagged and rough, the blood dripping quietly. Voices of more of Darryl's men came from downstairs. "You're hurt!" I cried, tearing off my sleeve, but he stopped me.

"There's no time."

"No! I can't! Where's your potions kit? If we can just—" I shook my head wildly, searching.

" _Matilda_!" Father shouted, wincing at the pain. The voices from downstairs came closer. "I'm sorry, my daughters, but I can't go with you. Now go, take your sister and go to the forest, just like we planned. The cabin is already prepared." He face was paling, his breaths becoming shallow.

" _No… it's not fair! This can't be happening!"_

"I can't! I'm not leaving you here to die!" Pulling him close, I held him tight, his blood warming my hands. I sobbed like I was a child again, crying to her parents when the darkness fed her imagination. I felt his arm wrap around me, and Tiffania knelt down as well, holding us both.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to make it. You and your sister though, you two can. You're both young and strong, with your entire lives ahead of you." Letting us go, he cupped our faces, a content smile on his face. "The last ten years have been such a joy for me. More than I could ever ask for. But my time has passed. It's time for the world to see the next in line to the Saxe Gotha family." He pushed us away, a weak smile on his face. "Now go. Survive…"

He drew his last breath, closing his eyes.

-Finish the Fight-

Henrietta remained silent as Matilda finished her tale. Secretly, Avalon wiped his own teared eyes, playing it off a small, fake yawn. Sasha eyed her son curtly, shaking her head.

"For such a thing to happen… You have my deepest condolences, Matilda." She rose from her seat, moving towards the window. "I see now why you did what you had to. And know that you will have my full support. If there is anything you need, if it is within my power, I will give it to you."

"That's quite alright. Though are you sure about this? Can you really… make a body?" Matilda turned to Sasha, curious. She nodded.

"I can. I just need several ingredients before I can transmute the shape, then from there I will burn it. Kirche and Louise both use Fire and Ether, correct, Avalon?"

"Yeah, we can just say one of their spells killed you. With the princess and Osmond backing them, the story will no doubt be bought," added Avalon. He stood up from his seat, stretching his legs. "What should we do until then, Princess?"

"For now, I want you to remain here on standby, and wait for my orders."

"Orders?" Matilda raised her brow. "I wasn't aware I would be working for you, princess. No offense."

"None taken. However, you've personally worked for Raziel, haven't you? I'm sorry, but that is a valuable asset to me that I need." Turning to her, Henrietta took Matilda's hands. "Please. I know it is much to ask of me, but I need all that I can gather on him."

"Raziel? Whose that?" Avalon asked.

"He's the leader of Reconquista," Matilda answered.

"You worked for him? But why?" Sasha asked this time.

"It's funny, actually. After Tiffania and I settled and Reconquista took over Albion, he came to me privately and in person, seeking my aid. He offered me a means to make a living, and in return, gave me the heads of those who murdered my family." Matilda smiled. "He was… quite the charmer, actually. One thing I can tell you for sure is he is fair. A rare quality for someone like him. Perhaps it is that fairness that draws the masses to him."

"I see… thank you. I will take that into consideration." Henrietta then curtsied. "For now, I shall return to the castle. Rest well, everyone, and I hope to see you all again.

-Finish the Fight-

Raziel patiently watched his trainees as they rigorously trained, utilizing different exercises that Raziel himself organized. Today was joint locking and take downs. He observing their forms, making note of their mistakes. Raziel nodded as he passed today's assigned instructors, who bowed as he passed.

"At ease, soldiers. Don't break your flow. Just keep training."

"Yes sir!" They replied in unison. As Raziel continued on, he stopped by a corner bathed in shadow.

"It seems Fouquet has betrayed us." Emerging from the shadow, the Myoznitnirn mey Raziel's small grin with a glare. "You knew this would happen." Her tone was not to be trifled with. Raziel chuckled.

"Of course I knew. But that doesn't matter. Did Avalon contract with the staff?"

"…he did." She sighed.

"Good. What about Charlotte? Did she arrive at the capital?"

Closing her eyes for a moment, Myoznitnirn nodded. "Everything is on schedule."

"Excellent. Once Charlotte is done negotiating, bring her home immediately. And make sure that the Windalf can keep up. We'll need him for the future."

-Finish the Fight-

Julio Chesare prided himself in his ability to read others. And he knew from the start that this Charlotte representative of Reconquista could not be trusted. Leaning down, he whispered into the Pope's ear.

"Please reconsider, master, this woman is dangerous," he said as Charlotte walked down the throne room with a confident and beautiful stride, escorted by two of Julio's soldiers, who were garbed in white and blue robes like himself. The Pope waved him off.

"Fear not, Julio. You're my guard, I trust you to protect me if anything goes sour. Besides, these are just simple negotiations. Perhaps we can both get something from this."

"Vittorio, you're always like this! For once can't you just hold onto some form of caution?!" Crossing his arms and straightening his back, Julio stood back up straight as Charlotte stopped some feet away from the throne, gracefully curtsying. Julio kept his eyes trained on her, making eye contact with his men. They firmly held their spears,

"Pope Vittorio, I am pleased to know you are well. I hope that the gifts I presented were to your liking?" Her voice was a smooth alto. Julio couldn't discern any intent behind her movements.

"Ah, the fabrics were wonderful! Thank you for the splendid gift."

"Please, it was my husband's pleasure. Now, onto business." Straightening herself and her dress, Charlotte gently held her hands together in front of her. "It is my understanding that you had negotiations in mind, regarding our nation's, correct?"

Vittorio's face turned serious. The soldiers at Charlotte's side tensed, but kept their calm under Julio's watch.

"Indeed. There is something I would like to show you. Julio, if you would?"

Moving to hand her a few documents, Charlotte took the time to examine them, surprise showing in her eyes as she read more and more. Double checking the papers, Charlotte hummed as she set them all back in order.

"This is quite the information you have here on the Dragon Mountains. Where did you come across all this?"

"Thank my familiar, Julio, for that." Vittorio gestured towards him, surprising Charlotte. Fake surprise, Julio noted, but surprise none the less.

"A human familiar, you say? And not just any either, but one of Founder Brimir's?"

"Yes. And as such, I am a void mage. It has been foretold since time immemorial that the coming of the void mages means a great disaster is upon us. And the signs have begun to manifest, as the reports have shown."

"Which brings me to my proposal: I would like to form an alliance with Albion, not only to being together our forces, but also in hopes of finding one of the remaining three remaining void mages."

Charlotte remained silent and still, taking the information in stride. Julio thought it to be suspicious. While the history of the void and its users was widespread among the nobility, many in fact did not believe it to be true. Void was believed to be exclusively for Brimir alone, as none of his four sons inherited the void, but instead mastered one of the four elements of wind, water, fire, and earth. With no void mages to show, the legend became just that. The other representatives that Julio and Vittorio had brought this up with considered all of this a joke.

But not this woman. She knew something. He could feel it.

"...We will agree with your terms regarding the search for the other void mages. However, the republic of Reconquista will have to decline the alliance of our nation's."

This time it was Vittorio's turn to be surprised.

"What?! But surely you understand the purpose of this alliance! We need to be united, so that the oncoming threat can be—"

"Think about what you are asking, Pope. We of Reconquista despise the nobility. Everything we stand for, everything we have fought for, would fall if we were to join you. As such, we will not interfere if you search for the void mages, so long as you don't interfere with us. We will also find our own solution to this threat, I assure you. Raziel is as much blessed by the Lord God as you are." Charlotte smirked, putting the soldiers and Julio on edge. "I'm sure that your information network has heard of our liberation of Albion's magic, haven't you? Beware, because you might be next."

"You… _how dare you_!" Vittorio stood up as Julio motioned for his soldiers to move, pulling out his sword wand. His men locked their spears at her throat, though the woman didn't seem at all phased. She opened her mouth, uttering something in a language he didn't understand.

"Allegra."

Vittorio froze, much to Julio's surprise. Julio stomped up to her, pointing his sword between her eyes.

"What did you do?!" he demanded, but was completely ignored.

"Mey mun. Mey hi mindol mu ni mindok? Dreh ni liivrah mu. Raziel onikaan los nid gro."

Julio didn't even blink, and yet she was gone. Whipping his head around, he turned to see Charlotte at Vittorio's side, her hand on his shoulder. Vittorio was shocked beyond words.

"Hi los nid wah mu."

"Master!" Julio lunged at her, but just like before, she vanished. His eyes scanned the hall, orders tumbling out of his mouth as his soldiers bolted towards the doors. He was about to move himself, but Vittorio's words stopped him.

"That wretched bitch… _How dare she! Julio!_ "

Julio faced his master and nearly flinched. The rage in his eyes was unlike anything he had ever seen in his life.

"I want you to disguise yourself and infiltrate Reconquista. I want to know everything they're planning! All their tactics, all their methods, all their plans and strategies! I want it all! We're going to bring them into the ground, and make them regret ever crossing me!"

-Finish the Fight-

It was dusk as Julio entered his home with a sigh, the days events running over and over through his mind. The brick house was a simple one, with one floor consisting of a living room, two bedrooms, and a small kitchen. Furniture and portraits decorated the lanterned walls.

"Just what was that language? And her speed, it was beyond anything I had ever encountered!" Julio muttered. Before he could pursue the thought further, a small bundle jumped at him, which he caught with a small laugh.

"Daddy! You're home! Welcome back!" His platinum blonde daughter gave him a toothy smile as his wife stepped into the living room, a small pot of boiling stew in her hands.

"Welcome home dear. I made your favorite stew!" Her wide and bright smile eased his burdens. Julio smiled.

"Thank you dear. But I'm afraid I won't be here long." Kissing his confused daughter before putting her down, Julio moved to his wife and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "The Pope has issued an order for me. I have to leave for a while."

"What? But you just got back daddy! Where are you going?!" The little girl ran up to her father's legs, clutching at his pants tightly. "Don't go! Stay with us!"

Crouching down, Julio pulled her close as be stroked her head. "Don't worry, Alexis, I'm only going to be gone for a little while. I'll make sure to bring you a nice doll. Would you like a doll?"

"No! I want you daddy! I don't understand! Why do you always have to go?!"

"Because daddy is a knight of the church. I have to go out and defend the people, I had sworn an oath on it." Pulling away, he looked into her heterochromic eyes. Her left eye was a soft red, and her right eye a bright blue; just like his own. "I promise that I will come back. I always have, haven't I?"

Alexis answers with another hug. Julio eyed his wife, who stood off to the side, a saddened expression on her face.

"Now go play in your room. Your mother and I need to talk." Unsure but willing, the daughter went on her way, and there was silence.

"Where are you going?" His wife broke the silence.

"I am… going to Albion." He answered after a moment's hesitation. He didn't look at her. She didn't move. The tension was high.

"So then… it's something about Reconquista then, doesn't it?"

Julio didn't answer. His wife walked up behind him and embraced him tightly.

"I don't want you to go… he always sends you to these dangerous places… first the Germanian civil war, then dragon mountains, now this?! I don't want you to die! Stay with me, please…" her voice trembled with a depthless sadness that made his heart twist.

"I'm sorry. But I can't this time. The Pope himself gave me this order. I must fulfill it." He turned to her and pulled her close as she cried into his shoulder. "Forgive me, Cassandra."


	13. For What Its Worth

Finish the Fight Chapter 10: For what it's worth

 **AN: Sorry if this is late and short. Had a bit of writers block but I'll be doing more of this format since I'm back in college. At least with this I can be a bit more consistent with uploads.**

 _Albion_

Agnes let out another bark of orders as she trained her new comrades in arms, teaching them the way of the sword. Their shouts and the clashing of wood and the humming of spells could be heard throughout the grounds, men and women hard at work, both in practicing swordplay and tending to the bruised. Raziel watched nearby, keeping his eyes on her. She kept her movements natural, focused on giving her orders, but even she had to admit that something about his gaze sent chills up her spine.

As she continued on, she took note of the two new figures that had entered the training grounds. The first she recognized; Charlotte's right-hand woman, named Avery. Beside her was a young, blonde man, with a pair of heterochromic eyes. His left eye was red, and his right eye was blue. It was a rare feature to bear the colors of the twin moons, though not completely unheard of. He wore simple farmer's clothes, but Agnes could tell from the way he walked alone that he was an experienced fighter.

Agnes shook her head. She could think about this later. They were approaching.

"Agnes, this is Julio. From now on, he will be under your care." Avery acknowledged Agnes with a nod, not wasting any time. Julio stepped forward.

"Hello. My name is Julio, I'll be in your care from now on. I look forward to training with you," said Julio, bowing. Agnes forced herself to not narrow her eyes. Farmers didn't know how to bow like that, all prim and proper.

"Likewise. Tell me, Julio, have you ever used a sword before?"

-Finish the Fight-

 _Tristain Magic Academy_

It was dawn. Louise had woken up at first light, stretching. She stood up from her bed and pulled the curtain free, taking in the landscape beyond the school walls. The faint sounds of metal clashing could be heard behind the glass. She listened to it for several moments before the final blow was struck with a dull thud, Avalon's moan as clear as day. She giggled.

"Well, can't fall behind on my training either."

Breathing in slowly, she sat down cross-legged, feeling her magic coursing through her body like she was underwater. The cool sensation was refreshing, and woke up her slow mind. She fell deeper into her meditation.

"Oh, blasted bird, what do you want?" A pigeon incessantly tapped on Louise's window, breaking her concentration. A scroll was attached to its leg. Getting up with an annoyed sigh, Louise opened the window and retrieved the parchment, freezing as she laid her eyes on its wax seal.

"When was the last time you wrote to me, I wonder?" Louise whispered to herself with a smile. She promptly opened the letter, reading its contents. Louise couldn't help but giggle.

Eagerly scampering towards her desk, Louise pulled out a small piece of parchment, and began writing about her experiences at the school. Her successful summoning…

"Oh, I can't tell them about the void, can I?" Louise paused, thinking carefully about what to say. "I don't want to cause trouble with the Church…

"Speaking of the Church, I probably shouldn't mention Sasha being an elf either. If only we could just find a way to hide her ears…" Scratching her head furiously, Louise shook her head. "I'll think about that later. Still, I'm a bit surprised no one has reported there being an elf at the academy… I wonder what Osmond did." She leaned back in her chair, tapping her chin.

"Avalon will be easier to blend in. He doesn't have his mother's ears, but his magic is a big giveaway… Maybe I should buy him a wand? It's the weekend, and I wouldn't mind to do a little shopping…"

With her plan decided, Louise quickly wrote on, and attached her letter to the pigeon's leg, rushing out the door. She came back in a few moments later.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid! What was I thinking, going outside in my sleepwear?!"

-Finish the Fight-

Avalon woke up with a start, finding Tabitha and Matilda leaning over him.

"Are you okay?" Tabitha asked. Avalon waved his hand.

"Yeah, I'm used to it. Don't worry about me." Removing his head from her lap, he sat up with a small stretch. "Mom was never gentle with our training; said it would toughen me up."

"Well, she's not wrong." Matilda handed Avalon a damp towel, and he wiped his face with it. "Although I'm now slightly concerned about the training that I'm going to have to go through." She moved to the table set up by Siesta earlier, taking a seat. Avalon and Tabitha joined her soon after. The table was dressed with a fine cloth, a basket of fresh fruits and bread at the ready. Each of them had their own plates, meat and vegetables neatly arranged, their cutlery on the side.

"At least you'll be practicing the same element. Do you know how hard it was for me to get used to fighting against my weakness from the get go?" Avalon shook his head with a small laugh as he ate a piece of his chicken. "It kind of left me with some bad habits. Anyway, did mom leave already?" Looking around the court, Avalon realized his mother was gone. Matilda nodded.

"Yes. She went to go see Professor Colbert. I believe she said they were close to a breakthrough."

"A breakthrough? Well, I guess in this backwater country anything she could make would be a breakthrough…"

Tabitha and Matilda nodded in agreement, though Avalon noticed a small spark in Tabitha's eyes. They continued on with their meal.

"Avalon," Louise's shout cut through the courtyard. "Are you still here?"

"Over here, Louise!" Waving to her as she turned the corner, the strawberry blonde jogged over, although that's not what caught Avalon's attention.

"Why are you in uniform? Don't you have the weekend off?" Avalon asked. Stopping to catch her breath for a few moments, Louise regained her composure.

"I am well aware of my schedule. Still, it occurred to me that I have no plans for today, and I would like you to accompany me to town. I wish to buy you a staff, that you may better disguise yourself among our peers."

"Huh? Why? I can just use Gungnir."

"…The Church," Tabitha said suddenly. Avalon gave her a confused look.

"Ah, I see. So you want to disguise his elven heritage, Louise?" Matilda added. She nodded her head. Avalon was about to speak up, but Matilda raised her hand. "Now I know you may be from a… let's say, multicultural country, Avalon, and we understand that. But here in Halkeginia, we have different values. Elves are highly feared among the nobility. Not just for their battle prowess, but also for their almost unknown nature. We know almost nothing about Elven society other than where its located, and whenever they have shown themselves, danger followed. As a result the country's relationship has been strained with them at best."

"But why? How did it become like that?"

"We don't know for sure. What little history we have saved said that humanity used to live in the east, but during the time of Brimir, our nation's founder, a calamity struck. There are various theories and stories, but all in all no one truly knows what it was or how it happened. That calamity, whatever it was, resulted in the great devastation of the eastern lands, reducing it to a desert. The elves have taken refuge in what was left of the land and banished the humans from ever returning there. Brimir led the people west, towards what became Halkeginia today."

"In other words, your magic can cause a big scandal that I want to avoid." Louise concluded. "Besides, you've been wearing the same, foreign clothes for the past week, and honestly they're starting to annoy me. You need to fix your wardrobe!"

"Hey, I like these clothes! They're comfortable as well as functional!"

"You stand out," said Tabitha. Avalon gave her a betrayed look.

"They're probably right, Avalon. You should consider dressing as a noble would, at least that would give you the advantage of surprise."

Avalon looked between the trio, trying to round a comeback, but they all were against him. He sighed.

"Fine, let me just tell mom. Honestly, women and their shopping…"

-Finish the Fight-

"Mom, are you here? Hello?" Avalon called out as he, Matilda, Tabitha, and Louise approached the bustling shack. Noises of turning gears and the striking of a hammer could be heard from the outside.

"Are they… building something?" Louise asked.

"I would hope so," replied Avalon. As he opened the door wide, the group was assaulted by an odd and terrible smell. They covered their noses on reaction as the surprised and gleeful Professor Colbert cried out, "Oh, in all my years! This is wonderful! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Miss Sasha! Without your help I never would have progressed in my inventions!"

Bracing himself, Avalon entered the shack first, the others following after. It was a large square, with every inch of space taken up by various desks cluttered with sealed test tubes, beakers with boiling chemicals, and parts of machinery. On the ceiling was a skeleton of what appeared to be a dragon of some sort. In the dead center of the room were Professor Colbert and Sasha, marvelling at the invention that was before them. It was a simple, analog, grandfather clock, the weight behind the glass clicking gently as it swung back and forth in time with the second-hand. The wood was a deep mahogany, finely polished, bearing elaborate patterns and etches. It was his mother's work, no doubt.

"Invention? It's just a clock," Avalon replied, examining the fine piece of work, trying to ignore the smell. He was failing.

"J-Just a clock?!" Colbert looked appalled at Avalon's choice of words. "This is going to change so many things! No longer do we have to rely on the sun to tell us the time of day! Sun dials will become obsolete! And with the manufacturing process simplified by Miss Sasha, even commoners will be able to afford them! Do you know what that means?!" Before Colbert could continue his rant, Sasha laughed, placing her free hand on his shoulder.

"Don't mind my son, professor. Where we come from, such things are the norm, so his response is reasonable." Placing the hammer down on the desk, Sasha removed her dirtied, white gloves, tossing them away nonchalantly. "Now, I believe you were calling for me earlier? How can I help you?"

"Ah, we wanted to let you know that we were going to travel to town to go shopping for clothes. I also wanted to buy Avalon a staff or a wand, to help him disguise himself better among my peers. Do you want anything?" Louise replied. Sasha cupped her chin in thought.

"Well, nothing comes to mind at the moment, but if you see any interesting jewels on sale, see if you can haggle for them; I have some things I would like to show Professor Colbert."

"Does it have anything to do with my textbooks?" Avalon looked over at his geology books, which were open at the rocks and minerals section.

"You could say that." Sasha smiled. "Be a good boy while you're in town, Avalon."


	14. The City of Tristain

Finish the Fight 11: The City of Tristain

"So you insert the ink into this chamber, slide it into the case like this, and…" Sasha screwed the case shut, and pushed the button atop the case. "Voila! This is a pen, professor." She made a few demonstrative strokes on a piece of parchment. "This will surely save you resources and time when writing documents. Distribute these with the notebooks that I made."

Colbert's face lit up with tears, and the man broke down into a sob.

"Oh, Miss Sasha, you are a genius! Thank you, thank you so much for your help! To think I could have so many of my inventions completed, and in just the span of a few days!" Turning to Matilda, Colbert handed the samples to her. "Please, Matilda, bring these to Osmond! Tell him we are mass producing these and wish to have them used at the Academy!"

"Very well, professor." With a small nod and smile, she took the pen and notebook and left swiftly. As she went out of sight, Colbert sighed.

"Still a little nervous about her, professor?" Sasha asked. He nodded.

"Osmond was rather quick to give her job back to her, and while I'm grateful she is on our side now, I still can't help but feel a little cautious."

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's a good mindset to have, but if she starts anything you can rest assured I'll do something about it.

"Thank you, Miss Sasha."

"Oh, think nothing of it. I'm just glad I could help. Speaking of which, if possible," she gestured to her inventions behind her, "I would like to make revenue off of these."

"Yes, of course! You mentioned wanting to gather savings for your son, correct? You are as admirable as they come, Miss Sasha. With your standardized process, we can sell the notebooks, pens, pencils, clocks, and pocket watches all at reasonable prices! Even the commoners will be able to afford them! Although…" Looking to the back of his workplace, Colbert scratched his head with a chuckle. On one of Colbert's desks at the back sat a large, black box. "I'm not sure how we're going to sell the, what was it? The camera obscura?"

"Oh, that old projector? Don't worry about that. That model is a rather old style. There are vast improvements that I can make, but I'd rather not introduce too many things too quickly. We can finish the printing press first."

"Very well, let's get started! Now, about automating it, I was thinking…"

"Colbert, before that, I have a question."

"Yes, Sasha, what is it?"

"If you wouldn't mind, is it possible for me to see the contents of the vault? I would like to ascertain any other possible items from our land that may be dangerous."

"Hmm… Its true we do have many foreign objects in storage. You're worried about if someone may steal something again, like Fouquet?"

"Yes. And who knows? Maybe we can find something to help us with your inventions. I'm quite certain of it.

"Very well. I will ask Osmond and get his permission. Now, back to the printing press..."

-Finish the Fight-

"Wow, the city looks amazing from up here!" Avalon shouted. The wind rushed as Sylphid flew high in the sky, directed by Tabitha. Avalon, sitting behind her with his hands on her shoulders, looked over her head at the approaching capital of Tristain with great delight. Though Avalon couldn't move too much as Louise kept a firm grip on his shirt, Kirche sitting behind her with her arms around Louise's waist.

Tristain's capital sat at the edge of a tall hill, rolling green hills on one side, with the ocean in full view on the other. Louise had seen the city many times, but what always awed her was the main cathedral in the center. It was easily the biggest of them all. To Avalon, seeing the structures was a dream come true for him. He had always wanted to visit Europe, and this was nearly identical. Stone bridges and streets decorated the city flooring, the roofs of the houses tiled red and the people dotting the streets, packed together like it was making a great impression of closeness. River streams flowed between the roads in the city.

"This is so awesome! Dragon riding is awesome!"

"Have you never ridden a dragon before?" Kirche shouted in reply. Avalon shook his head.

"Dragons are an endangered species where I come from!" That greatly shocked Louise. Just what did they do to their dragons?! "We aren't allowed to keep them as pets!"

"What?! Why?!" Kirche shouted. Louise almost joined her but kept herself in check.

"It's a long story. But on another topic, who thought it was a good idea to have your school in the middle of nowhere? How do you guys even manage to get help if the school is attacked or something?" Though Avalon didn't mind, it was because it had taken them a short flight to get here. He couldn't imagine how long it would have taken on horseback; or worse, on foot.

"The professors are more than capable of protecting the school. And with your mother around, I think we can rule out danger," said Louise proudly, thinking of Professor Colbert and Sasha. Though he was a pacifist, Colbert had more than proved himself to be a capable mage. Sasha was just overkill. She honestly thought she would feel sorry for anyone who would dare attack.

"Hold on," Tabitha interrupted in her usual tone. Louise and Avalon had barely heard her over the wind and tightened their grips on each other. Kirche seemed much more relaxed about it.

Sylphid lowered towards the ground as they approached the city's main gates, the hustling, and bustling of men and women coming and going from the city keeping the guards busy. The gates towered above the residents, sentries armed with bows atop the walls keeping a tight watch. Louise decides to take the lead. This was her idea, after all.

"Just keep close and don't say anything. I'll do all the talking," she said a bit more harshly than she intended. Shaking off the jitters of the flight, Louise composed herself. Avalon couldn't help but snicker.

"Louise, you say that like I want to start trouble." Avalon gave her a sly grin, which Louise replied with a glare.

"Knowing you, you probably would. Look, just don't go off on your own, okay? Tristain is big, and I can't say for sure I'll be able to find you in time if something happens."

Without another word, Louise strode towards the gates. The guards let her in without a word, the commoners making way. Avalon followed, making sure Kirche and Tabitha were close behind. Sylphid took off with a powerful jump into the air and headed towards the forest, most likely to hunt, Avalon assumed. As he turned his attention back to the commoners around him, he noted the fear in their eyes, closely watching the poor and dirty hiding in the shadows as they leered.

He guessed it was to be expected. Divides in class were never good.

"Alright, I get it. I'll be good." Avalon sighed.

"Good. Tabitha, keep an eye on him, please."

"Understood," Tabitha answered without missing a beat. Avalon couldn't help but slump his head.

"Is this the kind of faith you have in me?!"

"Yes! Now hurry up, we're going to Dimitry's first!" Louise shouted as they approached the main market. Kirche's laughter stopped them from proceeding, and Louise groaned.

"Oh, Louise, such poor taste! You actually intend to take Avalon to that poor man's tailor?" Kirche brushed back her hair, flaunting her figure shamelessly as some of the men they passed by drooled, forcefully pulled by their wives. "Let's go to Roberto's instead!"

Louise couldn't help but freeze. "W-What?! B-but Roberto's is…"

Kirche pauses, examining Louise's expression. She smiled.

"Oh, dear me, Louise, do you even have any money?"

Louise felt her face heat up at the seductress' amused gaze. "S-Shut up! Of course, I do! But I don't have enough to afford anything at Roberto's!"

"It's fine, don't worry! I know the clerks there very well. I'm sure I can convince them to give us a discount."

As the two continued to argue, Avalon gazed at the scenery with great interest as they continued on. He had never been to Europe before, but he had seen many pictures that his mother took before she gave birth to him. It was nice to see it all up close and in person. However…

"Your writing is weird, here. I can't read it at all." He turned to Tabitha, who kept her eyes firmly on her book. "Tabitha, can you teach me how to read later?"

Taking her eyes off her book to stare, the sudden eagerness in Tabitha's eyes caught him off guard. Yet, she caught herself, coughing with slight embarrassment as she regained her composure.

"Yes, I'll help." Tabitha nodded her head. Avalon couldn't help but laugh.

"You really like reading, huh? I'm glad, I do too. I'll tell you some of my favourite stories when we get back."

"…Language."

It took Avalon a moment to realize what she was talking about.

"Shoot, you're right. I don't know your language at all. But it's weird; how come I was able to understand you when I first came here?"

"Summoning portal… translation spell attached."

"Huh. Is that true, Gungnir?"

" _It appears so. Would you like me to analyze the spell?"_

"Yeah, thanks. If we can find out how to disable it at any time, it would make learning the language easier. Anyway, tell me about the city! I can see some really old structures here, what's the deal?"

"You have a good eye. The city of Tristain was built on the foundations of an ancient ruin from long ago. We haven't been able to uncover much on the history of it, but many of the structures and machines Tristain's researchers were able to salvage became the foundation for today's inventions. Certain instruments like the panpipe, the viol, and the lute wouldn't exist. We wouldn't have mirrors, we wouldn't have the sun dial… although, I guess your mother's… clock, makes that obsolete. And other things like water powered saw mills." Louise slowed her pace, a glitter of intellect in her eye. Kirche, now leading, eyed Louise with a sly smile.

"You may be able to escape me now, my little harpy, but I'll get my hands on you eventually."

"What does that even mean?" Avalon asked, but Kirche did not reply. Instead, she went back to leading the group, a slight skip in her step. Avalon looked over at Louise, who seemed very disturbed. "Do you have any idea, Tabitha?"

"You don't want to know." She shook her head.


	15. The Fool

Finish the fight Chapter 12: The Fool

 _South of the City of Tristain, Royal Messenger Estate_

The royal messenger, Count Mott, sat comfortably in his rocking chair on his estate's balcony, the afternoon breeze soothing his old, aching bones, his silk robes gently caressing his skin. Before him were the rolling hills and waters of Tristain, commoners dotting the distance and the voices of his servants at work. A knock came from his door.

"Come in," he ordered. A maid came through, carrying a tray with his afternoon snacks neatly arranged on it.

"My Lord, I have brought your afternoon snack, as you requested." She laid the tray before him, and he felt his mouth water as he laid eyes on his tea, bread and apple slices.

"You didn't forget the milk and sugar this time did you?" Mott asked as he whiffed his tea, picking up the cup. "I hope I don't have to remind you what happened to the last servant who failed to do so."

"Y-Yes, my Lord, the tea has been prepared just as you asked." The servant curtseyed, and Mott took in her form, his eyes leering at her ample bosom. He took a sip.

"Very good, you are excused." He took another sip, savouring the taste.

"T-Thank you, my Lord." The servant prepared to leave, but before she passed through the doors, Mott called out to her again.

"Oh, dear Trish, please also don't forget to be at my chambers at sunset." A small, perverted smile stretched his thin lips. "There is something new I would like to try. That is all."

Shuddering, the woman curtseyed again, leaving the room. Count Mott turned back to his balcony, enjoying the view.

"Ah, such a beautiful sight… truly this is all I need to forget," he said to himself, his eyes losing focus, his mind wandering. He thought about how far they have come from the war, and how it nearly destroyed their kingdom. How his family greatly suffered from the post war efforts. Yet he survived, and now he could relish in pleasures as much as—

"My Lord, I bring urgent news from Albion!" A man banged at his door. One of his spies.

Suddenly, his body was tense again, sweat emerging from his brow. With a shaky hand he sipped his tea again, the warm liquid soothing him, though not completely. He cleared his throat.

"Enter."

A young commoner entered. He had dirty blonde hair, a plain cotton tunic and dirtied leather pants. Though repulsive, they were an effective disguise. The young man saluted in a way only a knight would know.

"Lucius, what news have you brought?" Mott sipped his tea in anticipation. Lucius tugged at his collar.

"My Lord, everything that the rumours say is true, and more." Lucius' expression became grave. "My Lord… their arcane arts mirror that of elves!"

Mott spat out his tea, coughing loudly.

"What?! You can't be serious! Are you playing me for a fool?!"

"Nay, my Lord, I wouldn't dream of it. I saw it with mine own eyes. Spellcasting without wands, manipulating will power and the very world around us, just like the stories! They even took the magic of some of Lord Wales' guard that they captured! Their powers are real!"

Suddenly, his world came crashing down on him. Scenarios played in his mind, all ending with his humiliating defeat, loss of his magic, and death. Mott grabbed his head in thought and panic.

No. He would not have it.

"My Lord?" Lucius asked as Mott stood up from his seat, moving to his bookcase. He rearranged a few titles, and a click echoed from behind the bookcase. The bookcase then slid off to the side, revealing a hidden door.

"I will not allow that to happen. I will not allow my magic to be taken." He proceeded down the stairs. "Come, Lucius. I have something I must show you."

Not one to disobey, Lucius followed Mott down the dark stairwell, leading him to a hidden chamber at the bottom. He laid his eyes on the madness inside.

"M-My Lord, this is—GacK!" his words were taken from him as a bubble of water wrapped around his head, and suddenly, he was drowning. He struggled to break free of the spell, rolling, tossing and turning on the ground, but it was useless. Mott did not allow him to escape, and soon, Lucius died.

Mott studied his corpse. With a wave of his wand, the water around his head entered his body, making it jerk and move. It stood up, and Mott examined it.

"Hmm, it seems my estimations were correct. Your body will be most useful in my experiments…" A mad grin stretched across his lips.

"I won't allow my peace to be disturbed. My own army will see to it."

-Finish the Fight-

 _The City of Tristain_

"Ta-da! Well, what do you think? Don't I look pretty badass in these robes?" Avalon emerged from the changing room, spinning around once to allow the girls a quick look. Kirche drooled, commenting on his sex appeal, while Louise just groaned. Tabitha looked up from her book.

"Bad…ass?" Tabitha's eyes narrowed in thought at the strange terminology. Avalon mentally hit himself. Of course they wouldn't get his slang. He made a note to be more careful.

"Don't I look menacing? Awe inspiring? I'll admit, I was never much of a shopper, but the stuff here was just too good to pass up. Seriously, thank you so much!" Giving a wave to the tailor, the young man bowed deeply.

"If there is anything else you require, do not hesitate to call me." With that, he went to tending other customers. Louise wearily rubbed her temples.

"Have you finally made up your mind? Can we go now, _please_?" she begged. Avalon and Kirche took a moment to think, making her groan.

"Well, you know, I was thinking about—" Avalon started, a teasing grin on his face. Having had enough, Louise decided to put her foot down.

"NO! I don't care if you want to try something else, you're buying those clothes, whether you like it or not!"

"Aww, come on, Louise! We've only been here for two hours!" Kirche whined, pulling the young girl into a hug. Louise, however, was having none of it. She pushed the harlot away before she was able to get a good grip.

"ONLY TWO HOURS?!" Louise shrieked, startling the other customers. "I've had nightmare about doing this kind of thing with my sisters, you know! And you!" She pointed menacingly at Avalon. "Of all the people in this world, never would have thought you to be this vain of a peacock!"

"Vain? I'm not vain! Besides, you were the one who said I needed to look like a noble, and this was the cheapest thing I could come up with that didn't look completely ridiculous and impractical. You might not know this, but when I came here, all I had was my bag and the clothes on my back." He picked up the sack of clothes they bought earlier off the ground. "I need these. I haven't changed in days, and honestly it was embarrassing having to sit waiting in my room, in a towel, while Siesta washes my clothes."

Louise gave Avalon another one over, taking the time to grudgingly admire Avalon's choice in clothing. Gone were the strange, collared shirt, blue pants, and white shoes, replaced with elegant dark blue and gray robes that clung tightly to his body. A black, hooded cloak hung from his shoulders. Underneath you could see traces of his dark leather pants, his riding boots clicking as he spun around in place. Still, Louise kept her mouth shut with a scowl, not wanting to voice her opinion on Avalon's striking presence and inflate his ridiculous ego.

"You look… presentable, I guess."

"Presentable she says," Avalon scoffed. "Well, whatever. I've gotten what I needed, so let's head on out. We're going to the wand shop next, right?" The group left the shop, and were well on their way through the main market plaza when a commotion brought them to a stop.

"I don't know where your daughter is! Now please, madam, I have rounds to finish!"

"No! Please, won't you men do anything?! She's just a child!"

Nearby, a group of guards were being pestered by a commoner. She wore a plain, cream coloured dress and was rather short, going no higher than five feet. Long brown hair fell down to hour shoulders. The guardsman, encased head to toe in armour, looked ready to burst, his companions moving to join him.

"Commoners, always causing trouble," muttered Louise, her tone earning a dark look from Avalon, although she didn't notice. "Come on, let's keep moving."

Louise continued on, but turned immediately as she heard the sound of fading footsteps. "Avalon!" Louise cried out after him. He had quickly stepped between the guards and the woman, putting on a false expression of relief. The guards froze upon laying their eyes on his cloak.

"Sorry to intrude on your business," Avalon bowed his head lightly. "This young lady is an acquaintance of mine. I'll take care of things from here, and I apologize for all the trouble she's caused." Gripping the woman's shoulders firmly, Avalon led her away. The guards gave each other confused looks before shrugging their shoulders, and continuing on their way. The woman, extremely confused, tried to break free but Avalon wouldn't let her. He eyed Louise and the others as he passed, motioning with his head for them to follow, and quickly brought the woman to an alleyway. As her confusion passed, anger came.

"Unhand me, you ruffian! Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" The woman thrashed now, and Avalon promptly let her go, allowing her to stumble away. She turned towards him, putting her hands up in a feeble attempt to look menacing. "Are you here to take me away too?!"

That caught Avalon's attention.

"Miss, please, calm down. I mean you no harm, honest. I only wished to keep those guards from assaulting you!" Putting his hands up, Avalon gave her a soft expression of concern, though the lady didn't look convinced. Avalon was about to continue, but Kirche, Tabitha and Louise finally rounded the corner.

"Avalon, just what do you think you're doing?" demanded Louise, stepping forward. The woman's eye's widened in surprise, and rushed towards Louise, taking her hands. Louise looked disgusted as their hands made contact.

"Those uniforms…! You're a student at the Tristain Academy! Oh, thank Brimir for this blessing!" Utterly confused, everyone could only blink as the woman began shedding tears, her head bowed low. "Please, you have to help me find my daughter! She's all I have left in this world!"

Without hesitation, Avalon stepped forward, placing a hand on the woman's shoulders. She looked back at him, but quickly bowed her head again as she eyed the cape on his shoulders.

"Don't worry, we will help you." The seriousness in his voice made the girls blink in surprise. The woman looked up at Avalon again, before sobbing words of thanks to God. However, Louise sternly moved the woman aside.

"Avalon! You can't be serious about this! "We came here on business; we don't have time to help her!"

"Then we'll make time. Besides, we're just helping her find her daughter. I can find her in seconds, trust me!" He was about to speak to the woman again, when his face brightened up.

"Hey, I have an idea! We could use this as a test!"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been training like I told you, right? Well, this is your chance to show me how far you've come! Try and find her daughter by sensing her presence, then leave the rest to me!"

Louise gave Avalon a deadpanned look before sighing in defeat.

"Great! Then let's find a place where we can lay low for a while. Do you guys know any places?"

"Charming Faeries Inn," Tabitha spoke. Avalon nodded.

"Oh yeah, didn't Matilda suggest we go there? But where is it?" added Kirche.

"Um… Excuse me, my Lady, I know where it is. I live there with the rest of the staff," said Teresa, raising her voice slightly. The group turned to her in surprise.

"Very well then, lead the way," said Louise, although she still looked peeved. They then headed towards the Inn. It wasn't far off from where they were, residing near the western end of town. It looked much like any other Tavern that the girls had seen, and in Avalon's case, in video games. It was a large, wooden building, teeming with lights and laughs and singing. But what they found inside was not what they expected.

"Welcome to the Charming Faeries Inn," chorused the maids of the tavern. They were all dressed in differently styled maid uniforms, but all of them were far from the formal versions they had seen at the academy. Each left something exposed; some had their legs showing, others their backs, others their fronts. A fair amount of skin was shown, but nothing too erotic. It was borderline tame for an entertainment establishment. Louise blushed at the sight of the wear, while Kirche openly awed, excited. Tabitha blushed lightly, hiding her face behind her book. Avalon shook his head.

But what bothered him the most was…

"Oh! Teresa! You've come back, and with company!"

A giant hulk of a man named Scaaron skipped towards them. He was dressed very effeminately. The white boots, black short shorts, purple crop-top, lipstick, and makeup burned Avalon's retinas and sent Gungnir into a hysterical laughter in his mind. Scaaron's movements were exaggerated and his tone of voice was higher than he expected from someone who could convincingly play the role of the terminator, his thin, curly moustache and goatee combo not doing any favours.

"Teresa, did you find May?!" Scaaron asked, taking Teresa's hands up in his with a worried look. Sadly, Teresa shook her head. Scaaron's expression also fell.

"But there is no worry. These kind nobles have offered their help." Teresa then gestured to us, and we all introduced ourselves. Scaaron jumped with joy.

"Oh! Thank you, thank you so much for your kindness my lords! Oh, where are my manners? I am Scaaron, and I welcome you to my establishment! Please, wait a moment and we will have you seated! Free of charge!"

Curtseying with thanks, Teresa retreated upstairs. Scaaron went back to managing the Inn. Deciding to take their chances, the group did as they were told and thankfully, they were seated by a more normal person. She had long, black hair tied into a French braid, and wore a light green dress with an apron on top. She gave the group a big smile.

"Hi! My name is Jessica, and I'll be serving you tonight. Is there anything you would like to drink?"

"Water, please," said Avalon.

"Make that two," added Louise.

"Three," said Tabitha.

"I would like some wine, thank you," said Kirche.

Jessica nodded, jotting down our orders.

"Three waters and a wine, coming up!"

"This… actually isn't that bad," Avalon commented as Jessica left. The Inn was well lit, very clean, and from the number of customers, very popular. Though the girls were dressed in sexily clad uniforms, all they were doing was serving drinks, allowing them to get touched on occasion for tips. Aside from that, there were no indications of sexual activity. Avalon didn't sense anything wrong, and as he swept his senses over the entire Inn, there were no presences upstairs except for Teresa, who was now coming back down. She wore a maid uniform, this one exposing her long legs. Avalon couldn't help but stare at them.

Tabitha and Kirche exchanged looks, while Louise sighed in annoyance. Tabitha then proceeded to kick Avalon under the table.

"Ow! T-Tabitha?! What was that for?!" Rubbing his ankle, he gave her a betrayed look. She replied as calmly as ever, pulling out her book.

"No staring. Rude." She flipped a page as Teresa came and sat with them. There was a small silence as she placed her face in her hands.

"Can you really find my daughter?" Teresa asked.

"Absolutely, I just need you to do something for us." Avalon held out his hand. "Take my hand, and think about your daughter. Don't worry about anything else, just think solely about her. About how she makes you feel; about what she means to you."

Teresa looked unsure, but she nodded, taking Avalon's hand. She thought about her young baby girl, about how she had raised her on her own since she was born. About how Scaaron found the in the streets and kindly took them in, raising her as one of his own. Teresa thought about how the girls of the inn adored her, doting her with the nicest clothes they could afford and offering to take care of her when she was busy with her shifts.

She thought about how her father suddenly came back and took her away.

Avalon concentrated on her feelings, identifying the signature that Teresa emitted. A tear fell down her cheek, and she unconsciously squeezed Avalon's hand tighter. Avalon responded in kind.

"Alright, that's enough. Louise, did you get that?"

Louise, who had closed her eyes in concentration, opened them.

"She's in Count Mott's estate.


End file.
